


Twist of Fate (Dragon Age Inquisition Fanfic)

by A_chan777



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Action/Adventure, Darkspawn, Death, Demons, Dragon Age Spoilers, Drama & Romance, Dwarves, Elves, Exploration, F/M, Fantasy, M/M, Magic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-03-26
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-12-18 08:46:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 79,356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18246419
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/A_chan777/pseuds/A_chan777
Summary: This story holds a different take on the journey of the female Lavellan. Her reality is torn and changed but not every bad turn is without good intentions. Walk with her as she goes from one world to another, befriends countless people whom she calls her new family and falls in love with the one God who actually listens to her prayers.





	1. Unexpected Guests

**Author's Note:**

> Oh god. I've forgotten so much of this story! I'll have to play the game again just to remember where I was going with this story! Anyway, I'll be posting this story, and a few others, all day. Eventually I'll play catch up with this story. Maybe I'll get more 'inspiration' if I get more readers~! 
> 
> That's a hint, people. lol Read mah stories! Please? Hehe

 

_Fate. A simple word, but a word often misunderstood. By simple logic, one would believe Fate to be a magical gift from the Heavens. Yet in reality, it's more like an obstacle sent as a challenge to overcome. As a child, I too believed Fate to be my silent prayers. Never to be heard or recognized. When I became older, I barely had the chance to notice Fate. How was I to expect Fate was to shape my life completely? Fate itself was all I truly wanted to blame for this. Now that I look back, perhaps I just wanted...something...to blame. Fate never deserved my rage or confusion. I was young and inexperienced. It is only, however, far too late for me to ask for forgiveness. That is why I will write my experiences into this journal. I don't care who finds my words. I only wish for those who read it, to finally understand the truth of my Fate._  
  
For me to begin this tale, I must first begin in the small remote village of Haven. Many people already know the story of Haven. Gentle by the first look, but held many secrets within the streets. Most of these secrets belonged to Andraste, Prophetess and Bride of the Maker. Haven was located on the side of the Frostback Mountains. I myself had to learn much about this tiny village when I arrived. However, this knowledge of this experience was told to me after I arrived. To the Northern, higher ground of the village nestled the Chantry, that is Church of Andraste. Just as any Church, it was seen as a shelter and guidance for lost refugees. However, it was also the home for the War Room to the Inquisition.  
  
The War Room itself was small, yet large enough to hold a large wooden table, a set of chairs and various candles for warm lighting. A bookshelf or two stood to the side along with a window behind the table. The clouded sunlight shone through the stained glass, reflecting a hazy light upon the war table. Upon the said table sat various maps of Thedas, revealing Orlais to the West and Fereldan to the East. Various other papers and books were strewn about, littering the wooden table with obvious concern for lack of organization. Multiple voices and footsteps soon approached this room, finally opening the lone door.  
  
Entering into this room were a handful of people. The first to enter was a woman with short cropped hair, bathed in a suit of armor presenting a large symbol of the Chantry upon the center of her chest plate. She held her longsword to her side, her left hand resting on the handle for reassuring comfort as she entered the room. Her name is Cassandra Pentaghast, Seeker of the Chantry. Behind her walked in two other women. One was dressed in a fashionable, if not possibly slightly gaudy, golden material and held a clipboard and candle to her chest. She was known as one of the advisors to the Inquisiton, as she is highly knowledgeable in politics and noble formalities. Her name is Josephine Montilyet. After she entered the room, the last woman to enter was the Spymaster of the Inquistion, Leliana. Purely beautiful by first glance, but after meeting her, one would quickly realize to never judge a book by her cover. Leliana wore a darken lilac hooded cloak over her red hair and bore her own set of armor beneath the cloak.  
  
The women weren't alone as they walked to the war table. Three men also joined this meeting, each of a different race. The first was the Knight Commander, Cullen. He was obviously dressed in heavy armor, along with a red and black fringe of fur along the neckline. To his side was a Dwarf, revealing plenty of chest hair for any to gawk at, and a loving crossbow caressing his back. This man is named Varric Tethras. A Dwarf of talents and endless stories. But the one with the most knowledge out of them all was the last to enter. Solas. An elf apostate. In other words, he is a mage not held by the Circle of Magi. Yet, he is not of Dalish origins either. This man held so much, if not too much, knowledge. However, this one meeting was where the entire journey began.  
  
Stepping to the side of the War table, Solas presented a green gem-like amulet, setting the trinket on top of the stack of papers. Cassandra sighed with obvious arrogance as she glared at the piece of jewelry. "You better be sure of this, Solas." She spoke to the bald Elf. The Elf in sight simply ignored her accusatory voice and kept his gaze to the green gem. "I assure you, Seeker, I have complete confidence in this. You just have to trust me." He replied with a calm answer. Cassandra's glare hardened slightly as Solas echoed her burning stare with one of his own. However, as soon as this silent fight began between the two, a new voice entered the fray. "I hate to disrupt your little feud, you two, but can you please explain to me how this will work exactly? We already have enough stress on our shoulders now that we have no idea where the Divine had disappeared to. But now we have a giant hole in the sky to fear? I am sorry, apostate, but I don't see how a piece of jewelry is going to help us in this matter." Spoke the Commander with crossed arms.  
  
Once again Solas looked up from the gem to peer to the blonde human. "This amulet is of Elven origin, Commander. With my skills and experience with the Fade, I can trace our Divine." "And if not?" Leliana interrupted. She didn't exactly not trust the elf, but she had her own concerns. "What if this amulet has no effect with finding our Divine Justinia? It'd be a waste of time." "Hate to break it to ya, Chuckles, but I'm gonna have to agree with the Seeker on this one. I don't care if it's Elven or whatever. It's just jewelry. Versus that giant hole in the sky? You must be drunk." The dwarf smirked in mockery, yet his meaning was truthful. This idea of the elf's made no sense.  
  


Finally Josephine raised her hand in defense. "Solas may have a point in this, however. He had helped us in this...predicament so far. The least we can do is aid him in finding our Divine." She looked over at the elf with a gentle smile. "Although, I'm curious to know. How exactly will we find her? Can you see into the Fade with that gem, Solas?" The elf shook his head. "I can only do so much with this amulet. I will have to focus my full attention upon the amulet. However, I could use your help, Commander. I could send you in to the location I will find." "Me? No. I've had my own experiences with the damn Fade. I refuse." Cullen hardened his stance and looked away from the table. "I understand your frustration, Commander, but I can't send Cole in alone." Solas answered. "Cole?!" Cassandra blurted out with astonishment on her face. "That DEMON?!" "We've been over this countless times, Seeker. Cole is a Spirit of Compassion. Not a Demon. Besides, if he had any ill intent towards any of us, I'm sure you'd be the first to know." Solas retorted back, examining the amulet once more. Standing in the corner of the room was this Spirit, Cole. Although, by any normal person, he would look more like a scarecrow. Literally. Yet, he didn't seem to mind the group's discussion. His mind was somewhere else. All he did was stand in the corner, mumbling to himself. "Yes. With Cole's help, he could sense our missing Divine. Or someone who could be of help, perhaps. But, being a Spirit, he is highly recommended for this mission. Understood, Commander? That's why I need you to join him. He can't defend himself or the Divine from the dangers of the Fade by himself. Just you and a few soldiers would be enough." Silence filled the room as the group contemplated their options. Everyone stared at the piece of jewelry that rested upon the table. "Fine." The female Seeker sighed with arrogance. "We have no choice. Make it so, Solas."

  
  
It was probably in the middle of May when my life had decided to take a drastic turn. It was all over the News how my planet, Earth, had unexpected guests from another world. Whether that was true or not was definitely hard to believe. I myself had never met any aliens before, and if I wasn't too busy volunteering for various fairgrounds and hospitals, I probably would have been more interested in finding out about the worlds outside of my own. But seeing as how my mother was usually bedridden and my fuck-up of a father was a penniless drunk, I had no choice but to give my mother the care and love she deserved. I literally had no time for News drama. Ah, that's right. I forgot to introduce myself!  
  
My name is Michelle Yeager. I am 26 years old and I live with my parents. By choice, mind you. Yes, I know it's awkward for a girl in her mid-twenties to care for her mother but if I don't, who will? Insurance alone isn't enough to keep her alive. Or loved. My father? No. Just...ugh. I don't want to talk about him. Anyway, I stand 5 foot 6, by average and I have long dark brown hair and wear oval glasses. I guess you could say I'm more of a bohemian-style type of girl. I don't dress fancy, I hardly ever wear makeup. I honestly just...don't care. Too much is on my mind and I have no need to care. Mom would definitely disagree with me. Often telling me to go out and find a lover. Especially since I'm still a virgin. I know she longs for grandchildren. I don't fear men nor do I jump for sex. I just have too much on my mind, I suppose. I know I know. Too many excuses. At least, that's what Pops always says.  
  
No matter. It was in the middle of May, the beginning of Summer, and I had been helping at the nearby Fairgrounds closest to my home in the hills. I was to maintain the beverage and snack stand next to the stage. Rumor has it, our President Climber is visiting our fair and is suppose to give a long speech for his votes. Apparently the aliens are coming along too, but I don't know why. If anything, it's probably just so the idiot could earn more votes. I honestly don't care.  
  
Sighing to myself, I recollected my long dark hair and held it up to the top of my head in a black hair band. _This is going to be a long hot day, I can tell._ Yawning once, I stretch my arms over my head then quickly drop them to my side as I begin filling the beverage machine with ice. "Do you know where Eliza is?" Asked one of my fellow volunteers, Rachel. "Yeah, she left with her boyfriend." I replied, closing the ice machine's lid. "What?! John is going to be furious again if she keeps ditching the stand again." She looked surprised, but I highly doubt it would be so surprising. Eliza always ditched us. Despite my obvious look of ignorance, I replied easily. "I told her. She didn't seem to care. I said that she won't get paid for ditching. But she just went ahead to that Twister ride." Rachel answered with a gruff tone. "This is the seventh time! Ugh, fuck it! I'm going to bring her here myself!" _Wait, what?_ Quickly turning around to gaze at her, I spoke up with a start. "Ah, Rachel wait!....ohh.. Crud.." Too late. It seemed she had already ditched me as well. Wonderful.  
  
Feeling that I had no point in complaining, I decided to continue my focus on the stand. I refilled the hotdog maker, restocked the paper plates and cups and turned the snow cone maker back on. _It'd probably take fifteen minutes for everything to start kicking up. Now if I could just find that new box of buns.._ "Michelle? Michelle?! You listening?" A male voice barked to my side. Jumping lightly from surprise, I turn around to chuckle lightly. "Heh oops. Sorry, John. What chya need?" My boss, John, stood outside of the stand with his arms crossed and small frown gracing his large face. "Alright, where are they?" I gulped lightly, sensing where this obvious conversation is going to lead. "I don't know honestly. Eliza left an hour ago with her boyfriend and then fifteen minutes ago Rachel left to find her. They both went in that direction, sir."  
  
I hate being a snitch, but in these circumstances, I have no choice but to tell the truth. What good would it do to hide the truth anyway? Leaning against the countertop with a long sigh, John grumbled lowly at first before speaking. "Shit. They _do_ both know about that President guy coming, right? We will be packed in an hour, or less! Damn it, I hate it when they do this." I frowned in agreement. I cleaned off my hands with a dishrag and sat on a chair as I watched my boss contemplate silently. "Damn it." He muttered once more as he pulled himself away from the counter. "You think you can handle the rush until I return? I'll go hunt those girls but I need you to maintain the business until I get back. I promise a longer lunch for you when I return, alright?" I smiled softly and nodded. "That's fine, John. I've done this eleven times already. I'm sure once more won't kill me." With a satisfied nod, John finally left the stand, leaving me to fend for myself.  
  
An hour in a half passed as the President arrived and a crowd began to form along the stage. It was small at first but quickly grew as the aliens were introduced by one of the President's lackeys. In all honesty, these 'aliens' didn't look any different from any other human. Well, of course no one today wears a suit of armor, especially not in this heat. _They must be burning up. Why won't anyone get them a drink of water or something?_ Watching every now and then from my stand, I noticed the leading 'alien' was actually a tall and kind of attractive man with curly short blonde hair. He wore a suit of heavy armor with the weirdest collar made of red and black fur. It was fancy and all, but it kind of took away the serious nature of the man. Behind him were two other soldiers dressed in metal gear. I couldn't tell if they were both men or women, due to their helmets covering their faces. But I could tell from their stance that they were attentive to the situation but also curious about the people and surroundings. Multiple times I saw the three men glancing my way, or more appropriately, my stand of refreshments. _They must be thirsty. I felt bad for them._  
  
"Um...Ma'am?" A child's voice earned my attention from my left, tearing my gaze away from the President's boring speech. I smiled at the young girl and leaned against the counter peacefully. "Can I help you?" The child shuffled in her stance as she pointed to the sign above my head. "I want a cherry flavor icy!" She exclaimed with excitement. I giggled lightly and nodded. "Only if you say the magic word." I winked playfully, making the girl echo my smile with one of her own. "Hehe pleeeeeease?" _Aww, how cute!_ I nodded once more and began making her little treat. "Here you go. That'll be fifty cents." I watched patiently as the girl rummaged through her pockets and quickly began to frown, followed by a whimpering cry, as she failed to retrieve her money. I quickly shrugged it off and handed the item to the young child. "Don't worry about it." The girl looked at me with watery eyes. "R-really? You're not gonna be in trouble?" She hick-uped and I answered with a chuckle. "I'll be fine. A couple of cents is nothing. Just go ahead and take it. Oh, but don't forget to say your thanks." I winked once more. The girl instantly beamed with joy as she snatched the sugary item with glee. "Thank you, miss!" She shouted over her shoulder as she rushed to her parents side. It looks like they were debating whether or not to join the crowd surrounding the stage or to go to the next large piece of amusement.   
  
"It's far too hot, Sir.." "Yes, I agree. Are you sure we can't sit in the shade for a moment?" "We have none of this world's type of currency and that...man up there has been too eager for us to stay at his side. You know why we are here, solider." "I understand, Cullen sir, but.." An abrupt sigh roamed to my right and as I turned my gaze, I noticed the three outsiders walking near my stand. Taking pity at their open conversation, I decided to wave them over. "Uh, excuse me?" My voice must have startled the three, since they instantly stopped in their tracks to look at me in surprise. "I have plenty of water and food, if you'd like to sit in the shade. And don't worry about payment. I'll pay for it myself."  
  
A long minute passed before the three pulled a seat each to the counter. I smiled to each of them as I quickly poured the three large cups of ice water. "You are certain it is fine for you to hand out free food to us, M'lady?" I stifled a laugh at the respectful nature of the leading man, Cullen I assume, had replied to my offer. I shrugged lightly as I began grabbing a few plates. "It'll be fine. You're not the first person I let have free food before. Besides, in this heat, you've got to stay hydrated, right? Just relax and eat up, m'kay?" I presented each of them a plate of hotdogs and sat a set of ketchup and mustard to the side. They stared at the condiments with obvious confusion before I pointed to each bottle. "It's ketchup and mustard. Condiments for the hotdogs, which is what is on your plate. It's not poisonous or anything. I also have pickle relish and sauerkraut, if you'd prefer a different topping."  
  
The three reluctantly began to eat their free food with hesitation before quickly devouring the dogs with haste. They must have been starving! I can understand their hesitation. They are in a different world. Everything must be foreign to them. "If you don't mind me asking, miss, what is your name?" Cullen asked me after he took a sip of his water. I smiled softly as I cleaned my hands with a dishrag. "Michelle. And you must be?" "Cullen. Knight Commander of the Inquisition." He answered with confidence. I blinked and kept my smile on my face. Inquisition? I wanted to ask him more questions, but instantly I felt a chill down my spine. _Why..do I feel like someone is watching me?_  
  
Tearing myself away from my thoughts, my eyes roamed around the growing crowd, trying to find this strange source. Almost instantly, I spotted the most strangest sight I've ever seen: _A scarecrow? Wait, it's alive! It's a man! But why is he dressed like that?_ Most likely noticing my gaze, Cullen followed my line of sight and mumbled something. "What is it, miss?" I blink and shook my head, looking back to the counter. "I uh...Nothing. It's nothing. Probably." Cullen raised an eyebrow before turning his attention to the stage, listening to the President's long speech. "Does he always talk so much?" I finally decide to release my laughter and giggle softly. "President Climber? Yyyyup. Not exactly the best to trust, in my opinion. I'd be careful about him, if I were you. But don't quote me on that. Typically speaking, he sorta 'rules with an iron fist', I suppose?" My answer may seem rude, but it was full of honesty.  
  
The man had been running to keep his status as President for half a year now. This meeting with the aliens of another world will either jump his voting rates up or down, depending on how the aliens confer with the man. I sighed softly as I stretched once again for probably the third time today. "So, tell me about you guys. Where are you from?" The three sit silently, munching away as they look to each for confirmation before one finally answered. "Thedas." I smiled softly, pulling a chair on my side of the counter. I sit down and rest my arms against the counter gently. "You must miss home then." Cullen and the other two soldiers nod silently before Cullen continued our conversation.   
  
"We are here on important business." I nodded, listening intently. "Typical. So, what business, if I may ask?" Cullen wiped his lips with a napkin before answering. "We are in need of help in finding our missing Divine Justinia. Our act of peace between mages and Templars had been shattered instantly and the life of our Divine may be in jeopardy, however we have no way of finding out without help. We are doing all we can and these...speeches are taking up too much of our time.." I frowned as I listened. _Divine? Mages and Templars? The heck?_ "Well, having the President help isn't going to work. He only cares about one person and that is himself. I'm sorry but you are in the wrong place, Mr. Cullen." The Knight Commander relaxed within his seat, his arms crossed over his chest as he listened to my words. "That so, Miss? This was the only place for us to be sent. So there _must_ be someone here to help us."  
  
"Innocent. A gentle maiden with wise knowledge and pure concern for the weak. Complete with understanding and pity for the souls around her. Always wanting to prove herself to her parents." I blinked at the new voice, turning my attention to the scarecrow who just...appeared out of no where? "H-huh? Where did you come from?" "You see him, Miss?" Cullen asked, watching the scarecrow with curiosity. I blinked, a look of confusion broad upon my face. _See him?_ Silently, I nodded, looking back to the moving scarecrow man. The scarecrow man looked at me with cloudy blue-grey eyes. Lifeless, almost. _Wait. I've felt this feeling before when I was growing up._ "Cullen.. Is he a Spirit?" I asked, earning myself astonished silence from the guests at my stand.  
  
"You can tell he's a Spirit, M'lady?" Cullen gulped loudly, a bead of sweat dripping slowly from his temple. _He looks so nervous. Why?_ Quickly, Cullen glanced back to the scarecrow man, pure interest sweeping across his face. "Tell me what you feel about her, Cole. Is she what we need in order to find the Divine?" I noticed the two soldiers lean in closely, full of interest. The scarecrow, Cole, just sat on top of the counter. Staring at me silently. It was weird. Like I could feel a cold sensation roaming through my mind and body. I gulped quietly, averting my gaze to the grass below my feet.  
  
"Her green eyes, earnest and eager for a future. Her heart, pure and loving. Never had she been broken other than by her..." The scarecrow tilted his head, pouring his gaze upon my features. "Strong." He continued. "I feel it. Pulsing, radiating. Glowing a beautiful white essence. A living gift." I blinked, burning my embarrassed stare into the ground beneath my feet. I've never been analyzed like this before. Just what is this guy talking about? "What do you _mean,_ Cole? Is she the one?" Cullen barked, slightly irritated. Silence stood still between us all before an answer made itself visible to my eyes.  
  
I stared at the soft green glowing hue from the most beautiful trinket on the ground. It looked like an emerald or some sort of gem. Upon closer inspection, I could see some sort of design imprinted on the inside of the rock. _So pretty. Where did it come from? Did Cullen or one of his soldiers drop it?_ Slowly, I reached down to grab the trinket with my left hand. "Cullen, I think you dropped th-." I gasped suddenly as a rush of pain soared through my left hand. _All I did was grab the piece of jewelry! What happened?!_ Instantly I felt a power of visible green light enveloping around my left hand, hugging my skin tightly with a burning sensation. As if that weren't enough, I saw a vision of sorts. A land of darkness, surrounded by green vapors and floating ruins. And the feeling of being threatened. A feeling of death at my neck. Danger at every turn. _I-I've seen this before!_  
  
As quick as I had grabbed the dreadful trinket, the quicker it slipped from my hand and returned to the grass. I fell upon my backside, gasping for my breath to return as my mind reeled with confusing shock. _T..The fuck?!_ "Miss!" Cullen and his two soldiers rushed to my side, accidently tipping over their Styrofoam cups of water to the ground as they rushed to my aid. Cullen helped pull me up as I stammered to understand what just happened. "Michelle!" I heard my boss's voice echo in the distance, drawing near quickly. "What the fuck is going on. Who are you three?" Three? What, he can't see Cole sitting there? Cullen held up a hand in defense. "Please, sir, let me explain. But first, I need help having her rest." He waved to his two aides, letting them both take each of my arms to lift me back onto my feet.  
  
My head felt so woozy as I leaned against the countertop. I noticed a few passerby watching us, whispering nonsense as they moved closer to the stage. Apparently one of the lower Cabinet members were talking on stage, rather than the President. He must have finished his speech. Too many voices bounced around me as I watched John argue with Cullen about what happened to my hand. John must have thought I was assaulted by the guy. How embarrassing.   
  
"John...ugh...stop I'm fine. See? It was an accident anyway. Right?" I spoke with a smile, but I still felt very woozy. Everything around me felt like it was moving. _So dizzy.._ John grumbled softly, keeping a stern glare at Cullen as we encountered yet another unexpected, or more like unwelcome, guest. President Climber. The stubby old fart with a flag as a badge strolled his way to our stand, causing various camera shots and paparazzi to follow in his trail. "I assume there is a reason for your sudden outburst, miss?" I blinked at the question, looking at the President with an aloof look most likely plastered on my face. "Outburst?" Cullen coughed lightly, earning my attention. The President crossed his arms and stared at me with a frown. "You shouted hysterically, Miss. You interrupted my speech and caused an uproar to stir within my crowd. I deserve an explanation." I groaned lightly, as I myself had no clue how to explain something that I had no idea what happened. Luckily, Cullen took the initiative.  
  
Bowing respectfully with a firm fist over his heart, Cullen presented himself to the President in a formal manner. "I wish to thank you for your time and support, Sir. It seems our time here on Earth had been well worth the trip." President Climber raised an eyebrow at Cullen. "Come again, boy?" One of the soldiers stepped to the side as the other one tried cleaning up the mess on the floor, as well as retrieving the green trinket, handing the gem to Cullen. _Strange how the piece of jewelry had no effect on him. I wonder why?_ "Miss Michelle is the one we came for. With her help, I am sure we will succeed in our mission." Cullen smiled towards me. It was a warm smile, but something told me that I was going to be for more than simple friendly times with this guy.  
  
I watched silently as President Climber and Cullen spoke about me. It was awkward and all, but my mind was still focused on my left hand. It was still glowing that green hue. The pain was gone, but now it felt like my blood was pulsing uncontrollably. Is that normal? "Miss Michelle. If you'd be so kind as to follow me for a moment. I need to have a word with you." I looked over to my boss, receiving a simple nod allowing me to follow after the President a bit far from the stand. I noticed Cullen and his two soldiers try to stay silent as multiple newscasters surrounded them, begging for answers.  
  
The feeling of being watched loomed over me as I strode behind the President and his four men in black. The entire time I followed, I could almost taste the bile this man radiated. Once we reached a nearby tree, the President turned towards me and examined me from head to toe slowly. I felt violated by his gaze. _Ugk.. Quit staring, perv.._ "Hmm. How old are you, girl?" I frowned at his question. "Why does my age matter?" I answered with a low gaze. I earned a snarling smirk from the perverted old coot. "Fine, avoid it. But my subordinates know about all of my voters, including you. Your name is Michelle, correct? Tell me, how _is_ your mother feeling today?" My frowning face turned pale as I realized instantly what this vile excuse for a man was implying. I crossed my arms and hid the growl that begged to fly from my throat. "Just tell me what you want..."  
  
Climber chuckled at my reaction and nodded with approval. "Very well. I admire your earnest nature. As you may as well know, us here on Earth have no knowledge of this...Thedas our friends seem to inhabit. I would like for you to go with this man, Cullen, and earn the trust of his people. Find out more about Thedas. And, when you return, give all of your information to me. I will reward you and your parents handsomely for your time and understanding, of course." Each time this man spoke, my stomach churned. I felt sick listening to him. "You're bribing me.." He chuckled once more. "I could threaten you, if you'd prefer. I could make sure that if I get no information upon your return, that I could revoke your father's checks all together, remove your mother from her medical insurance and deny your application from ever being accepted to any university you desire. How does that sound, girl?"   
  
Minutes ticked away as Cullen and his two soldiers stood to the side, awaiting for me to return. "You saw what happened, right?" Spoke one soldier. "I can't believe it. She looked like she was in so much pain. Do you think she'll make the trip safely?" Replied the other. "What do you think, Cole?" Cullen asked the scarecrow which sat on a tree branch above the three war men. Cole stayed silent for a moment before returning his gaze to the Knight Commander. "I saw through her eyes. Fear, dread, empty and torment. She saw the Fade and felt the need to run." He frowned softly as he watched her from the tree. "We must return to Haven with her. Solas will take her pain away. She will help us find the Divine."  
  
Finally I had returned to the group at the stand, a pale lost look hanging over my face. Cullen must have noticed my sullen mood as he approached me quietly. "M'lady? Are you..not well?" I sighed softly and shook my head. "John, sorry but I'm gonna have to leave. I enjoyed helping out and I hope you don't mind me giving these gentlemen a free meal. They don't have our type of money, so you can mail the bill to my house, okay?" John looked at me, stunned obviously. "What about your parents, Michelle? This is a bit unexpected." I nodded at John's reaction. "I know. I'm going home right now to pack up. I'm sure the...President...will explain everything. But don't worry." I smiled sweetly. "I'll be fine." With no hesitation in my step, I turned towards the three soldiers at my side. "Ready for a walk?"  
  
It probably took an hour for me, the two soldiers, Cullen and Cole to reach my home while walking. To our luck, the paparazzi had ended up begging at the President's feet, to his selfish glory. There were a few people who watched us walk by, one even tried asking us questions, but we ignored their prying and continued walking. It may have seem rude, but there was too much on our minds right now. Mine in particular was roaming with various thoughts. Some would believe to think of what to bring on such a trip to another world. Or perhaps what my own world must be thinking about my sudden change in life experiences. But for me, all that repeated in my mind and heart was a single prayer echoing within me. _Please, God. Don't let him be home. Don't let him be home...Please...._  
  
Standing a block away from my house, I shuffled my feet against the pavement of the sidewalk. "Uh can you guys...wait here for a sec? It won't take me long to pack my things. I promise I'll be out in ten minutes or so. I..I just don't want to go through more drama." Cullen nodded gently. "Of course. Cole, how about you...where'd he go this time?" He muttered, looking around for the Spirit. "Perhaps he went to tell Solas of the news?" Piped up one of the soldiers. I tilted my head slightly as I watched the trio. "Solas?" "Don't worry, M'lady. You will meet Solas soon and I'm sure he will help you with that glowing aura upon your hand." I glanced at my left hand and frowned. "I hope you're right.." I sighed once more before turning towards my home. "I'll be real quick, okay? And uh...if I'm taking too long...uh just don't rush in, okay?" Cullen looked at me with a confused look, but I just couldn't bring myself to explain my family troubles to the men.  
  
"I don't understand, you're leaving?!" Mom shouted at me as I rummaged through my closet. To my luck, God listened to my hesitant prayer and to my surprise, my father wasn't home. _Thank God._ Mom on the other hand, wasn't taking this well at all. When I had arrived, I had woken her up from her sleep on the couch. She was reading a romance novel again and the hours must have ticked away to cause her to pass out. But once she woke up, I had no choice but to tell her my predicament. "I told you, mom. I met those aliens who visited Earth from another planet and after touching some...stone thing of theirs, a glowing green thing is on my hand and it won't come off. So I have no choice but to help these guys find some Divine person." She wouldn't buy it though. "How am I suppose to explain this to your father? Do you know what he'll say?" "Then lie! It's not like he cares anyway. He's always telling me to leave and never to return anyway. Maybe his fucking prayers have finally been heard!" I stuffed a handful of shirts into my bag, not even bothering to fold them. "Don't say such things, Michelle. You know he doesn't mean it when he-." "YES he fucking DOES mom! You remember what he _did_ to my neck last week? The scar is still healing, mom! He's no father of mine. Never has been, never will be." I zipped up my bag and flung it over my shoulder as I made my way to the front door. "Mom...when you get the money, leave. Leave with him or without, I don't care. Just...leave. This house holds no happiness and you know it. If my leaving to another planet will keep you safe, then fine." Mom stood silently against the wall before wrapping her arms around mine in a weak embrace. I could feel the hot sensation on her forehead. She was still very sick. She should be lying down. "Michelle...You...you _will_ be back...right?" I gulped a large lump in my throat as I looked at the door. "I..I don't know. I don't even know how long I will be on this mission. But..Just pray for me. Okay? Just knowing you're thinking of me will keep me striving to come home. That much I can promise."  
  
"Have you said your goodbyes?" Cullen asked as I re-joined the group. Cole was still missing it seemed. I nodded after readjusting the luggage on my back. "Yeah. Sorry it took longer than I thought. I didn't exactly know what to bring. Do you even know how long this mission will be?" Cullen shook his head as he lead the way. We were headed towards a nearby marsh. "Unfortunately, no. I do not know how long this will take. But, after we reunite with the others at Haven, we will make your return one of our upmost priorities." I frowned silently at his words. _Yeah, right. Your precious Divine is more important than some girl from another world and we both know it._ I kept my thoughts to myself as we continued walking in silence. One of the soldiers wanted to carry my luggage for me, but I insisted to keep it at my side. It's not that I didn't trust these guys. It was actually because I knew we were most likely being followed by the Press. If we were being recorded right now, I'd get in trouble for 'forcing' the aliens to carry my luggage like some slave. It would not only make me look bad but 'more importantly', that damn President. _Fucking perverted waste of air.  
  
Woah.. Pretty._ Upon entering the woodland mass, we strolled through the murky environment until we reached Cole standing at a large circular pit of water. I'd call it a lake, but it seemed more like a shallow pond, honestly. Cole was kneeled down to the clear blue water, playing with the gentle waves with his gloved hands. "Did you tell him?" Cullen asked as we approached. Cole nodded, his large scarecrow hat moving along with his head. "Yes. He is ready to complete the use of the amulet. He said to toss it there, in the center of the water. He will send a spell to the core and the portal will open." Cullen looked at me for a moment then back to Cole. "And he is _certain_ this will work?" Cole sat in silence before standing up. "It is time."  
  
Sighing sharply, Cullen looked at me once more. "Are you ready? For now, there will be no turning back. I know you said your goodbyes, but..." I smiled softly at him. "Trust me, now wouldn't be a good time for me to return home. Too much is at stake. Besides, you guys need more help than I do over on this side. I want to help. This Divine person is important, right? The least I can do is try. You came out here for help and now you have it. So let's go." I spoke with a smile and confidence, but deep down inside, I'm terrified. I wanted to cry, to turn and run and never turn back. But my life had changed. Decisions were made for me without my consent and now I must pay the price. Cullen nodded slowly, watching my movements and reaction carefully before tossing the glowing green gem into the water. Within minutes the clear blue water began to shine with a white haze. It reminded me of a cloud, gentle and inviting. Cole stepped in first, walking towards the center, followed by the two soldiers then Cullen. At the edge I hesitated, feeling my heart pang a thorn in my side before I stepped into the white enchantment.  
  
Instantly from contact with the water, my vision of a beautiful white cloud changed to that dark wasteland of antigravity and death hanging in the air. I myself could barely breathe as I collapsed to the rocks beneath my feet. _W..What?! Where is the water? Cullen? Cole!? Where is everyone?!_ Fear soared through my veins as I crawled to my knees, putting all of my weight to my feet as I tried to fight the looming terror over my shoulders. This place was not only depressing, but threatening at every glance. Something was watching me. Following me. I felt it like a bead of sweat cascading down my neck. I had to move. There must be some way out of this mess! Struggling with each step, I eventually found a distant light hanging above me. I only had to climb a steep step made of pointed rocks before I reached this strange white light. However, even as I climbed, I felt something pulling at my feet. Looking down, I stifled a scream as I came face to face with large spider-like creatures, spewing a murky brown goo from their fangs as they tried to devour my shoelaces. I kicked desperately at the disgusting creatures before continuing my stampede to the hopeful exit. Luckily, I made it up the pointed rocks but this white light of hope wasn't what I expected. Instead of an open doorway, I had approached a white silhouette of a...woman? I couldn't tell for sure. But seeing the figure brought a sense of calm and reassurance over me. The figure kneeled down and held out its hand toward me, which with no hesitation in my fingers, I reach out with eager hands. But only found myself in yet, another situation.  
  
  
Far North of the Hinterland region, a Dalish clan roamed the forest in a group. A line of hunters surrounded the band as the clan moved to their camp. One female hunter rushed to the side of an middle-aged woman. The Keeper of the Clan. "Keeper! A report from Abelas." The Keeper nodded her head. "Yes, da'len. Continue with your report. Has he found our missing Halla?" The young huntress shook her head with a frown. "He and the other two hunters did find one of our Halla, but something happened. A magical force in the forest, Keeper. Abelas told me to return to you but he and the hunters are still investigating." Just as the young huntress explained the situation, an older hunter sporting a dark cloak walked into the camp, carrying a young human woman, with a bizarre mark upon her left hand. The Keeper ran to Abelas' side, gazing upon the female human.  
  
"Was she intending to harm our Halla, Abelas?" The male shook his head. "No, Keeper. The hunters and I felt a tremble in the forest and found a strange...green tear in nature, Keeper... This human.. She fell from the center of the tear. Keeper..This tear is the same as this rumored Breach the humans in the South have been mumbling about." "What?" The female Keeper peered at the human girl with a frown and soon enough, her fears grew as she watched the girl. "Abelas... You said she was..from the inside of the tear?" The man nodded, looking at the girl. "A human?" Her question continued. "Yes, Keeper." Silence echoed as a few more clan members began to gather in curiosity. "She's not a human, Abelas. She's turning into one of us." Looking on to the young woman, indeed her features were changing. Her ears were growing with a point and, though it was faint, small intricate markings were beginning to form upon the girl's fair face. Something was causing her to change, but what? "Keeper..there is something else." "Report, Abelas." "She wasn't alone.." Looking up to the man, the Keeper nodded as she listened intently. "Take the girl to my tent. I will instruct our healer to tend to her wounds as she sleeps. I want you and our best hunters to surround the camp and keep a watchful eye. We will have to find our Halla another time. For now, we must prepare for any unexpected guests."

 

 


	2. One Of Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our heroine struggles to embrace the new world she was thrown into. Having no real choice to make, she finds herself living amongst a group of Elves, after realizing that she herself has physically changed, and began to hone in on the strangest change of all: Magic that had begun to flow through her. With each baby step she takes on her newfound development, Lavellan soon comes to realize that her time with her new family had to be cut short as the Inquisition arrived to their camp.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Looking up at her summary, our shy Author ends up pouting at the words she typed* 
> 
> Is that too much for a simple summary? Bleh I'll fix it later, I guess. ^^;

 

_How did this happen? Everything is such a blur. Am I still at the Fairground? I could have sworn I saw a scarecrow or something. Mm.. Something smells nice_. "Ah, Da'len! Quick, let our Keeper know she has awoken. Her eyes are opening!" A young male voice chanted to another younger voice, followed by a shuffling sound in the distance. _What's a Da'len?_ Mumbling softly as I struggled to open my eyes, I glanced around the _...wait is this some kind of...tent? It's hard to see without my glasses. Where are they?_ "Uh..Miss?" The young male voice from before brought my thoughts to a halt as I glanced to my side. Sitting next to me was a young man, possibly in his late teens? He has short brown hair and a very strange get up. _What is he wearing? Armor? Or is it leather? Why does he have an Archery bow straped to his back?_ Most likely seeing the confusion on my face, he struggled to back away from me while holding out his hand to me. Hesitantly I accepted his outstretched hand. Keeping him in my field of vision, I noticed one detail that blew me off of my mindset.His ears! They were long and pointy! What? Just...WHAT? "Uh..A..Are you...okay?" I asked, surprized at how my voice quivered. The young man...elf..thing looked at me with confusion but before he could anwer, another man entered the tent. Squinting my eyes to try to see better, all I could make out was that he was tall and wore a dark cloak. The hood partially hid his face. "A-Abelas! The woman has awoken." "Yes, I see that. Did you inform the Keeper?" The taller man answered, watching my every move. "I sent Felina to tell her, sir." The taller man and the younger man continued to converse as I made the decision to look around this small tent to find my glasses.Luckily, I finally found the pair to my right, hidden underneath a clay pot, of all things. Amazing how they were still intact. Slipping the frames upon my face, I looked up at the two men and blinked, completely stunned. They were BOTH Elves. And it wasn't just their pointy ears that proved it. But they both had strange tattoos on their faces. _The fuck?!_ Still watching me from the entrance of the tent, the taller Elf, Abelas I'm guessing, hardened his glare at me. I gulped and turned my gaze away from him and instead bore my stare into the cozy sheet that rested upon my body. _Just what the heck happened to me?_ "Abelas, Tether?" An older, female, voice came from the entrance. Looking towards the voice, I sat in silence as an older woman entered the tent. She too was dressed in a leather-armor-robe looking thing, had her own tattoos and ofcourse, bared her own pointy ears. Although, compared to these two guys, she actually has a more pleasant, welcoming feeling about her. She didn't look at me with judgement in her eyes or a fearful glance. She welcomed me with a heartwarming smile. One that said 'Welcome home, child.'Slowly moving inside, this Keeper woman had raised her hand between the men, whispering softly to them both. Soon enough, they both retreated the tent after nodding in approval. Abelas, however, watched me for a moment longer before finally leaving the tent. _Well, at least the death-stares are gone for the moment. But what about her?_ I watched as the woman sat in front of me, her smile gently gracing her face. "How are you feeling, child?" Her words were soft. She didn't look at me with scorn. She was curious about me. Slowly, my hesitant nature began to subside because of her. I nodded slowly, gulping away any dry lumps in my throat. UGod, I'm thirsty. "Felina will arrive with a pale of water from the spring in a moment. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Deshanna Istimaethoriel Lavellan, I am known as this Elven clan's Keeper. I assume to you, it'd be similar to that as a guide, or leader. But I assure you, I lead no one. We walk side by side as a group. As a family. If anything, I protect this clan, and the clan protects me. Together we live. And you will live as well, Da'len."I blinked, taking in her introduction quietly. "I..What...is a Da...len?" My throat hurt like crazy. The Keeper smiled once more and chuckled. "Da'len means little child, my dear. It's alright. I can sense the confusion and fear in your heart." She answered warmly. "Keeper?" A young female voice echoed from the entrance. "I have brought the water." "Come on in, Felina." Cautiously moving the tarp out of the way, a thin female elf entered the tent, carrying a small goblet of water. She looked at me for a long moment before blinking and stuttering lightly before bowing with embarrassing respect. "S-sorry. Ah, h-here. Y-you must be thirsty, Shem." "Felina, she is no longer a Shem. There is no need to fear her, child. She is one of us now." The Keeper reprimanded the young girl's words, causing the girl to frown and nod reluctantly. _I don't understand. She brought the water. Did she do something wrong?_ As quickly as she had entered, the young female elf had left the tent, saying something about helping a child prepare for lunch. I looked at the goblet of water and then back to the Keeper. The Keeper chuckled once more before motioning to the cup. "Don't worry, young one. No one would poison your drink. You should drink. Relax." I took in a hesitant breath before nodding and slowly taking a sip of the goblet. Instantly a drip of cool liquid filled my mouth, eventually cascading down my throat in a satisfactory sensation. The dry bitter taste in my mouth easily washed away with the cool, earthy delectable taste of water. Spring water. I honestly was too use to drinking soda at home, but after tasting this pure spring water, my heart instantly began to pump with a quickened haste. My eyes felt a tad bit dewy as I gazed upon the Keeper. "Where am I?" I finally had the courage to ask the most important question.A long inhale of breath was taken in by the Keeper before she answered. "You are on a planet known as Thedas, child. The forest we reside in is to the far nothern region of the Free Marches." Silence followed her dialogue before she continued. "Do you...remember anything, Da'len?" I blinked after taking another small sip of my water. _What do I remember?_ "I..I was at the fairgrounds...on my planet. Earth." She nodded silently, waiting. I closed my eyes, trying to piece together the last of my memory. "I was working at the snack stand. Volunteering. But then those guys from Thedas came. Cullen, I think was his name and a scarecrow? Oh, Cole. That's right.." _Wait. Now I remember. I was forced to come here. After touching that gem looking thing, my left hand began to hurt. Then that stupid President bribed me to come here! But.._ The Keeper kept silent, watching me carefully. "If it's too hard for you, you don't need to pressure yourself." I shook my head. "No. I-I'm okay. Cullen had dropped a green gem to the ground and I remember reaching down to pick it up. But once I grabbed it, my left hand began to throb in pain and a green aura surrounded it. I spoke with my President, er..leader, I guess, about what I should do. So I had no choice but to follow Cullen and his soldiers to a lake. We stepped inside and...wait I don't know what happened after that." "Nothing at all? No one attacked you?" I blinked at her words. _Attack?_ "Huh? No I don't think so. I only remember...darkness.. wait...something did come after me. But I was alone." The Keeper frowned at my words. "Alone? You are certain?" I nodded, staring into the goblet in my hands. "It was dark," I continued. "But I think my surroundings was covered in a green haze. Rocks floated around me. It..It was like a dream. But a bad dream. I felt like I shouldn't have been there. Where ever it was."The Keeper nodded, placing a gentle wrinkled hand upon my right hand which held the cup. Her motions were soft and reassuring. "You said you were alone but felt you were being attacked?" I nodded at her words. "Yes. I was being chased by..I-I don't know what they were. Giant spiders or something? I don't remember. I just remember the loud shrill of their shrieking voices. It made my heart twist and I couldn't help but run. So I did. I ran as fast as I could. I ran to a hill, climbing up steep rocks. I remember a light shinning on top of the hill. I believed it to be the exit. I prayed that it would be. So I kept climbing, even as the creatures slithered behind me. I somehow successfully reached the top and I saw not only a light but..a woman?" "A woman? I thought you said you were alone." "I was. I did. But I remember a silhouette of a woman basked in light. She held her hand out to me. Helping me." I blinked, looking back up to face the Keeper's eyes. "Next thing I know, I wake up here."Silence returned to our tent until a tall figure graced the entrance. "Keeper, if I may have a word?" Abelas' voice returned to my attention. The Keeper nodded, standing up. "I'll be right there, Abelas." She glanced my way and smiled softly. "Rest. Finish your glass and collect your thoughts. We will do all we can to guide you upon your path, Da'len. But for now, you must rest." I watched as she left with Abelas and sat in silence, staring at my water-filled cup. _Okay, so I remember how I got here, but what exactly brought me here? That strange gem? And where did Cullen and Cole go? Why am I alone? I clearly made it to Thedas but what about the others? Why am I in a camp full of Elves? Ugh, all of these questions are giving me a headache_. Bringing the cup to my face once more, I stare at my relfection in the water. Instantly my fingers grow cold and I feel the blood drain from my face. _This...IS....my face, right? But...my ears...my face! I...I have pointy ears too! A-a-and tattoos?! Who the hell drew tattoos on me while I slept?! What ELSE has changed about me_? Fearing the worse, I glance at my body from head to toe and could only find one more difference to my unnatural life: My left hand no longer bore a green aura. No no. Instead, a green swirling design was reverberating from under my skin within my palm! "A...A....AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"  
  
Within an instant, the Keeper had returned along with Abelas behind her, a look of complete shock on both of their faces. I stared up at them with tears in my eyes. "W-why is this on me?! My face has changed a-and my ears!" The Keeper rushed to my side, placing her hand upon my back and moving her palm in gentle circular movements. "Hush, child. Take a deep breath and ease your mind. I know this is all sudden but..for some reason, your body has physically changed from your human form to that of a Dalish Elf. As to why, none of us are sure." "Perhaps it is of that mark upon your hand.." Abelas spoke, earning our gaze to turn towards him. I glanced back to my mark, feeling the green shape radiate upon my skin. _I don't understand. It was only an aura at first. How could it have changed?_  
  
Silence remained in the tent until the Keeper spoke up once again. "Abelas, have you found our Halla yet?" Abelas shook his head with a frown. "No, Keeper. We only saw that lone one before the tear in the sky produced the girl." He glanced my way before looking back to her. "The Clan is eager to know more of our...guest. What shall I tell them?" "The truth, lathallin. She is to be welcomed among our family. She is from an unknown world and now resides into another unknown world. She must be scared and confused." I watched them both confer about me, listening intently. The Keeper smiled my way. "Would you like to meet the Clan, da'len?" I gulped lightly and looked from my cup of water, back to the Keeper and Abelas. Silently, I nodded before taking a big hesitant gulp of my soothing water.  
  
Unfortunately, Keeper Deshanna could not follow us, seeing as how she had her own errands to attend to. So here I am. Alone with Abelas. Walking through the camp while being stared at from every angle. _Well...this is awkward. What am I suppose to do now?_ "Um.." I wanted to say something, but I had no idea what to say. Abelas, however, seemed to notice my hesitation and decided to speak up for me. "You fell." "What?" I blinked at his words, confused. "From the tear in the sky. You fell from the center of it and behind you was a woman. Or at least, what we assume is a woman. None of us could be sure. The moment we found you, the tear closed in upon itself and summoned demons. We had no choice but to protect you and run back to the camp." He explained. _Demons?!_ My eyes followed his footprints as we strolled through the camp. "The distorted land you described to the Keeper. Do you know what it is called?" I shook my head at his question. "The Fade. You were in the Fade. It is a land of the dead, basically. To the Shemlen, or humans if you so prefer, they seem to believe it is a figment of dreams collected together for demons to play within. However Spirits reside in that realm as well. " He slowly came to a stop to look back at me. "No one alive has ever survived in the Fade. For _you_ to survive is honestly unbelievable. You are certain there is nothing more you remember? Do you know how you entered into the Fade? You told the Keeper you roamed the wilds with a small band of humans. But none of them were a mage?" I tilted my head, feeling even more confused at the question. "Huh? Uh no. They were soldiers. Oh! Wait Cole said there was some guy in Thedas or Haven or something. I think his name is...Solas? He's a mage."  
  
Abelas stared at me with a shocked expression before approaching me slowly. I took a step back, sensing something off about this situation. "Solas is an Elven name. You mean to tell me an Elf had forced you into the Fade, against your will and could have killed you?" My eyes grew wide as realization came over me. _He's right. I should be furious! I could have died and it's all because of this Solas guy!_ My shocked green eyes returned their vision towards the ground once again. Thoughts roamed through my mind as Abelas watched me intently. He crossed his arms and sighed. "And now you're here. Be thankful, da'len. You are in a safer environment and though you were human, you are physically changing with each day. We will protect you." I looked up at him, watching quietly before smiling. "Thank you, Abelas." He echoed my smile with a tiny smirk of his own before turning back around to lead the way.  
  
Our conversation quickly came to an end as we came closer to a fire pit, warming up a handful of children and a middle aged Elven man. He was quite tall, wore tattered but cozy clothes and had silver grey short hair. He was obviously starting to get old, but he had a kind demeanor about him. The children surrounding him seemed so curious and excited to meet me as Abelas and I approached. Abelas bowed respectfully to the older male, I mimicked Abelas' movements with an awkward bow of my own. The children giggled at my clumsy display but I smiled innocently and shrugged it off anyway. "Welcome to our clan, da'len." Spoke the older man. "My name is Master Feyn. I am clan Lavellan's storyteller. I am sure you must be filled with numerous questions." Abelas nodded. "Would you mind teaching her, master? She needs guidance and answers." Master Feyn nodded with understanding. "Of course. I'd be thrilled to help our fellow child. I am sure you are needed elsewhere, Abelas? Go about your business. The children and I will do our best to ease da'len's suffering mind." The children nodded in agreement as a couple of children crawled closer to my side. Abelas bowed once more before looking at me. "I will be back. In the meantime, listen to Master Feyn and the children. As for you all.." He glanced back to the kids. The children peered at us innocently, but I too could easily tell these kids wanted to be mischievous. "Be nice. Her mind is confused. Do not mock her for any of her questions. She may ask strange questions and she needs to have answers." The children echoed a cheerful 'okaaaaay!' as Abelas turned around, walking behind me with a smirk as he disappeared into the forest.  
  
To be quite honest, I'm shocked at how informed and welcoming this clan is. The children often leaned closer to me, wanting to either play with my jeans, of which they were mesmerized by the feel of texture, or try to steal my glasses from my face. As for Master Feyn, he was very patient and welcoming for me. Every question I asked, he'd answer with a smile and detailed explanations. A few times the children would pipe in with an answer of their own. Our discussion probably took most of the day, four or five hours at least. We spoke about the life style of the Dalish, the many beliefs of multiple Gods and Goddesses, which was amazing in itself. Eventually I had to answer some questions as well. The children kept pointing at my glasses, so I removed them from my face and giggled as they each wanted to try them on. It _was_ a little difficult trying to explain how using glass frames to improve my vision is a thing on Earth. There were many things that were difficult to explain. My own culture, for example. Master Feyn thought it was strange how similar the Shemlen beliefs of Andraste and the Maker was just like Christianity. There were a few differences however. Yet, for some reason, I didn't really care about either religion. Just sitting here by the fire, listening to stories of Elvhen Gods. It felt like..home to me.  
  
Hours continued to pass as the sunlight finally began to fade. The clan welcomed my presence as the entire clan of elves had gathered around for supper. Apparently the hunters had met up with Abelas and two other elves. Together they had found their missing Halla, which I learned earlier are basically white deer with lovely twisting antlers. They are seen not as a horse to be ridden nor as fresh meat to be eaten. It was honorable to listen to such devotion towards nature. It was definitely something Earth lacked. Once the hunters had returned, I decided to help prepare dinner with the few other females that were in the camp. They were very thankful for my volunteering nature. I couldn't just sit still and watch as an entire tribe welcomed me with open arms and treated me as one of their own. _This is a family I had not expected to be a part of._  
  
"Are you feeling more at ease now, da'len?" The Keeper asked me calmly as she crouched by my side. I nodded with a gentle smile of my own before I took a hesitant bite of the rabbit stew the clan prepared. _I've never had rabbit before. I sure hope I can stomach this.._ Slowly I took a bite and soon enough began to take in more bites. This was actually pretty tasty! A bit stringy but very juicy. I was honestly shocked at the flavor. "Yes. Thank you, Keeper. I'm actually...enjoying myself. It's shocking but inviting. Thank you. Really." Keeper Deshanna chuckled softly as she too took a bite of her rabbit stew. "You should thank Abelas, then. I did in fact tell our clan to welcome you to our camp, but he was the one who saved you. If he had decided to avert his gaze, those demons would have devoured your soul and stole your body for themselves with ease." My eyes grew wide at her words then slowly I gazed at Abelas who sat upon a large boulder a bit of a distance away from the fire, eating his stew quietly to himself. "He really did that? I thought he didn't like me."  
  
Keeper's laughter echoed between us as she turned towards me. "Abelas may seem a bit intimidating at first, but in all honesty he cares about you." I looked back at her in shock. "He just met me, though. That doesn't make any sense." I gulped, thinking of the worst possibilities. The Keeper shook her head lightly after taking a sip of the broth. "Fate connects us all in many ways, da'len. Abelas isn't the only one who cares about you. I do. The children, our hunters. All of us." I returned my gaze to my bowl, frowning lightly. "Why? Because I'm not human anymore?" I noticed a couple of children watching from the Keeper then back to me as we spoke. "In part, perhaps. But, tell me, da'len. What do you feel of yourself when you had learned about our clan? Did you feel alienated and separate? Or was there a different feeling?"  
  
I blinked at her words, thinking back to the long discussions I've had throughout the day. _These people haven't looked at me with scorn or worry because I was human. They knew the truth about me, but respected me. Welcomed me. She's right, I haven't felt more at home than I've had now. What does that mean? Am I abandoning my life on Earth? What about my mother?_ I hadn't noticed the silence looming around our fire while I sat, lost in thought. "Da'len.." The Keeper broke my thoughts, earning my watery eyes to glaze back toward her own. In a flash I felt warm arms wrapping around me. I blinked away my tears as I came to realize that the Keeper and three children all huddled closer to me, enveloping me in a warm embrace. "Hush your mind, child. I never meant to make you cry. Yes, you are physically a Dalish Elf, but you are still you, da'len. Fret not. Your birth family are still a part of you, just as we are here for you." "We are...connected?" I sniffled a quiet sob as I tried wiping my eyes. She nodded lightly, soothing my worries away.  
  
  
My time with the Dalish Lavellan clan took longer than I thought. After my first day of becoming a member of the Lavellan clan, I became accustomed to listening to more of Master Feyn's stories and even learned how to hunt with a bow and arrow. Well, to be completely honest, it was only the skill of hunting I had learned. I couldn't bring myself to actually kill a defenseless animal. It was inhumane. The clan was shocked at how easy it was for me to withstand the use of a bow. I laughed at their stunned expressions and had to explain that when I was growing up, my school had taught me archery. I was the best in my class and even though I usually thought the sport was boring at first, once I actually tried it out for myself, I instantly fell in love with the skill. The hunters often asked Keeper Deshanna if I could become a huntress to join in the hunts, but a few days later after my first attempt at a hunt, a new 'gift' within me shocked the entire clan once more.  
  
It was probably in the third or fourth day that I longed to be alone. I was homesick for Earth. I missed my mother's voice. I missed helping out at the fair or hospitals. It was a boring lifestyle, but it was still mine. So while the hunters left the camp to hunt some wild boar, I was asked to fetch a set of pails of spring water for the laundry. A couple of children wished to join me, mainly to escape the boring history of the Dales, but I told them that I had it under control. The stream leading to the spring. In fact, it probably only took me a minute or two to fill the buckets and rest them at my side. I knew the clan expected me to return with haste, but I needed this one moment to be myself.   
  
I gazed upon my reflection in the clear waves, tracing my finger along my cheek, trying to feel this intricate design which appeared upon my flesh. Vallaslin. Blood writing. That's what Master Feyn called it. But for a blood writing to magically appear on my skin without the use of this blood ink? Sighing softly, I sat down next to the spring, listening silently to the sound of the water cascading around me. The water reminded me of music that I listened to a while back on Earth. It was gentle, rhythmic. An echo of the memory radiated within me, coursing through my veins. It took me a moment of peace before I realize a glowing white haze of light bounced between my hands. _Did I...do this?_  
  
The magical ball of white was warm yet weightless. It was literally light in my hands. How was that possible? And yet, for some reason, it felt completely natural. Closing my eyes slowly, I waved my hands slowly with the white orb, enjoying the peaceful remedy of an enchanting song to vocalize itself from the weightless ball. How I was able to produce magic was beyond me, but my mind and body didn't care. All I wanted was to sit in peace until I was ready to return to camp. The music I created removed my stress with each musical note. However, no matter how far I was from the camp nor how peaceful my time was, I was still being watched. "Lethallan.." I gasped as Abelas' voice appeared from behind me.  
  
In a split second, the bouncing ball of musical light popped out of existence as I turned with a start to meet Abelas' surprised gaze with one of my own. "A-Abelas. Uh w-what are you doing out here? I thought you were scouting the Eastern path?" I blushed with embarrassment. I've always hated having someone listen to me play music or sing. Luckily this time I wasn't singing, but I was still caught doing something completely abnormal. "Was that...magic? You can produce magic, Lethallan?" I blinked with confusion at his words. "Magic? R-really? I did that?" I looked at my hands with shock. _Is this another change caused by this strange mark on my hand?_  
  
With instant haste, Abelas grabbed my hand and lifted me up from the spring. "Grab the pails, da'len. We must meet with the Keeper right now. This is important." I gulped at his words. "Abelas, I'm sorry. I won't do it again, I promise! Please don't get me in trouble." I felt as if I was going to lose a beautiful family from my grasp. Abelas smirked at my reaction and brought his hand upon my forehead, messing my bangs gently with his larger hand. "You are not in trouble, Lethallan. Quite the opposite." I blinked once more, trying to understand the situation before following behind him with the two pails of water.  
  
"I don't understand, Abelas. You say she can control magic spells?" Keeper Deshana asked with concerning doubt in her voice. "You are certain of this?" Abelas nodded, looking over at me with a confident smirk painted across his face. Our Keeper took a moment to ponder this information before she glanced over at me as well. "Go ahead, da'len. Show me your talent." I gulped loudly, looking from her then back to Abelas. "Y-You're sure I'm not in trouble?" Our Keeper frowned at my stuttering words. "Child, what are you talking about? There is nothing wrong with bestowing the gift of a mage. To the Shem, you may be feared, but in our clan you would be honored respectfully. You may even possess enough strength to become my apprentice." I raised an eyebrow, confused. "Apprentice?" She shook her head and waved her hand lightly my way. "Go on. Focus upon this skill of yours."  
  
With a deep sigh, I closed my eyes and gulped once more as I felt my heart quicken with anticipation. _Should I really be doing this? I don't even know how I did it the first time. What if I screw up?_ Despite my quivering heart, I felt a strong hand place itself gently upon my shoulder. I open my eyes and glance to the owner of this protective feeling. Abelas stood at my side, massaging my arm with circular motion of his fingertips. "Relax. Just remember what you did before. If you don't feel comfortable right now, we could try again another time. Right, Keeper?" Keeper Deshanna watched us silently with wide eyes before her gaze softened and a smile presented itself on her face. She nodded lightly in agreement. "Abelas is correct, da'len. No one is forcing you to push your limit. He told me you had played with this magical song with a peaceful trance upon your face. If possible, try to mimic that moment of peace."  
  
"R-Right." I spoke with a shaky breath before I once again closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Slowly I raised my hands above my chest and focused on the song I reminisced at the spring. Within seconds the weightless ball of light appeared between my hands, floating with gentle glee as a harmonious tune reverberated from the white hue. I continued playing the song, even while I knew that the Keeper and Abelas stood by my side, gawking at me with stunned expressions upon their faces. _This is so embarrassing.._ Yet, as my song soon came to an end, I heard an echo of applause erupt from the outside of the Keeper's tent.   
  
I instantly opened my eyes, breaking the spell of musical bliss with ease as my concentration broke. Abelas and the Keeper stood with broad smiles on their faces, watching me with proud determination amongst their features. I must have looked like a fool with the obviously confused look on my own face. Keeper Deshanna approached me, pulling me into a heartwarming hug. "Ma serannas, da'len." Our Keeper held me close, a bright grin glowing on her features. "Oh, da'len. You are a gift sent to us from Mythal. Our pleasant creator. This I am sure of." I blinked once more, curious. "Mythal? R-really? But you know I'm from Earth." Abelas shook his head. "You may be from another world, Lethallin, but that doesn't mean you weren't sent here on purpose." I averted my gaze from him, trying to piece together all of this information.  
  
"So...I'm a...a mage? Really?" This was a little hard to take in. I knew I had a sixth sense, especially since I was able to speak and literally see that one Spirit, Cole. But to physically create magic from my fingertips? _W..Wow!_ I hadn't even noticed Abelas leaving the tent to tell the news to the clan while our Keeper sat me down gently. "Da'len, how would you like to be my First? A First is a Keeper in training, per se. Only a mage can become a Keeper's First, and you, da'len, are the only mage in our clan. Do you not see? There is a purpose for being here with us. You _are_ one of us."  
  
And so began my temporary journey of becoming the First of Clan Lavellan. My training took up to two weeks at first. Keeper Deshanna got most of my attention, teaching me how a Keeper maintains a clan's morale and optimism between clan members. She also taught me a few spells for protection purposes. During the first week of training, my eye sight had begun to improve magically. It could have possibly been due to the mark on my hand again. Another physical change upon my body, perhaps? When I wasn't training my magical talents, I learned history with the children and Master Feyn. He was concerned with how I learned to present music from magical essences. Unfortunately, I had no clue either. No one knew. But the clan did not ever tell me to stop playing my songs. In fact, the children begged me to play a song while listening to Master Feyn's stories. Luckily, Master Feyn allowed it to be so and also enjoyed the music I presented. Of course, I was too shy to actually sing along with some of the songs, so I'd just play background tunes that I felt would fit along with his stories. The children were very appreciative. As if the changes in my life weren't happy enough, a pleasantly childish rumor had begun to float around camp. Apparently Abelas has his eyes on me. And not just in the overly protective way. Rumor has it, he wishes to bond with me. Or in other words, he wants to be mated to me. Married in nature. I honestly don't know what to think about that. I had always thought he didn't like me. But now that I hear about it, I get so nervous when he's near me. What if this rumor is true?  
  
However, my time with the clan had to fade away as one day we found a group of Shemlen approaching the Free Marches from the South. One of our hunters, Daen, had been scouting the entrance of the forest and after noticing a group of humans getting closer to the entrance, he returned to our camp and ran with haste to inform our Keeper. I was in the middle of pitching up a new tent that had blown over from the wind gusts of last night. However my work on pitching the tent had come to a hold as I overheard Daen speaking with Keeper Deshanna.  
  
"The Inquisition? Here? You are certain of this, Daen?"  
  
"I'm afraid so, Keeper. I saw their flag. It is without a doubt the Inquisition's."  
  
"Did you approach them?"  
  
"No, Keeper. They were getting close to the entrance of the forest. They had been keeping to the path. If they continue, they will reach the camp."  
  
Silence had remained between the two before Daen continued.  
  
"Perhaps they had heard of the tear in the forest?"  
  
"If that is so, then they are here for two things. The tears into the Fade...and our First."  
  
I peered over the covers for the tent I had been working on to catch a glimpse of the two. Keeper Deshanna had a sullen look on her face while Daen had one of worry. "What shall I do, Keeper?" He asked quietly. A deep sigh escaped from her mouth before our Keeper answered. "We will welcome the Inquisition just as we have with any other human merchant that has passed our way. I will speak with them. As for you, da'len, go inform all of this to Abelas and the other hunters in the camp. Keep our guests in sights but do not attack unless they attack first. I will do my best to keep our First here in safety. Speaking of our First... Have her fetch some water. At a far distance... I won't let them take her."  
  
I gulped softly as I leaned back down to the ground, holding the tarp in my hands tightly. _The Inquisition is here? And they are here for me?...That's right.. I remember. Cullen and his gang had traveled to Earth to find me. They needed me. But..what should I do? I've finally found a place of peace in my life. I have a new family. One that actually loves and cares for me. I can't just be taken away again!_ Nodding to myself in silent approval, I abandoned my post of pitching the tent right as Daen had approached me, telling me I should fetch the water. I smiled warmly at him and accepted the task with ease. I grabbed the two small pails at my side and made my way to the far stream to the north of our camp. Yet, even as I traveled through the wilderness, I couldn't help but let my mind wander.   
  
_Cullen, his two soldiers and Cole. They had traveled so far to find me once and now they had returned again. They needed to find their Divine. I agreed to help them. I wanted to help them. Maybe I should? I know I fell in love with this clan but I can't abandon my promises. And this mark.._ With a glance to my left hand, I let my eyes trace over the intricate swirling design that pulsed beneath my skin. The mark was more defined now and every now and then, it'd pulse with heat. It made me often wonder if it was a part of my veins, pumping blood through my body? It didn't hurt anymore but the reason for having it still lingered in my mind. _I can't become a true member of this clan yet. I want to be the First. Really, I do. But I have to get rid of this damn mark first. I have a responsibility to take care of.._  
  
With quivering confidence vibrating in my heart and two pails in each hand, filled to the brim with water, I made my way back to the camp. Once I entered from the opposite entrance, I carefully made my way to my tent and silently gathered my things while I listened to the Keeper and Cullen arguing from the center of our camp.  
  
"You must have noticed how strong the Breach has become, Keeper Deshanna. If you could just allow us to pass through to investigate the Rift to the north, we'd be out of your way and hopefully would have found a way to find that woman from Earth." Spoke Cullen.  
  
"We do know of the pain the world must be in right now, Shem, but you are asking a bit too much from us this time. We have traded with your Inquisition with no problems and have even helped guide your refugees to your Haven. But we can not let you have her." Keeper replied.  
  
"Wait, you mean you know where she is? Please, Keeper Deshanna, we _need_ her help. She has _seen_ the Divine, Keeper!" Cullen exclaimed.  
  
"You wish to steal our First from us, Shem. You go too far.." Wait, was that Abelas' voice? Is the entire camp watching this display? That's just great..  
  
"First? Wait, that's impossible. The girl is human. She's not even a mage! How can she be a First in a clan of Elves?" Cullen asked, obviously in full of doubt.  
  
"Knight Commander, allow me to explain something to you. A few weeks ago the young girl had been found deep in the forest. This Rift you mentioned had formed and she herself had fallen from the center of the tear. And she was not alone. A figure of a woman had been behind her, bathed in a light of white. After our hunters had rescued your human friend and kept her in the care of our camp, she had begun to physically change. I assure you, Knight Commander. She is no longer a human." Keeper Deshanna explained calmly.  
  
"That's...that's impossible. _How?"_ Cullen asked, even more incredulous disbelief in his voice.   
  
"Ask your mage who sent her through the Fade. He must know." Abelas spoke, obvious anger in his tone.  
  
"Solas had no intention on sending anyone through the Fade. Something must have gone wrong. But I will ask him when we get back to Haven. However, I still don't see why she can't come to Haven with us. She promised to help us find Divine Justinia." Cullen replied, ignoring Abelas' angered voice.  
  
"She belongs to our clan, Knight Commander. She is in training to be my First. She is welcomed and loved in our clan. You are asking to take away the light of our clan. Do you not see how much pain this is for my clan and I? We _can not_ allow you to take her from us." The Keeper retorted with a stern voice. Various cheers and taunts echoed from the center of camp, all of the clan had been arguing with the Inquisition, trying to defend me from my pursuers. However, I couldn't just sit still.  
  
I had changed out of my usual jean and t-shirt attire and switched into that of an apprentice mage's robes. During the whole confrontation between the Inquisition and my clan, I had snuck away in my tent and grabbed my bag, filling it with clothes, a few herbs and books given to me from Master Feyn. After packing my things and making sure everything was secure, I strapped my twin daggers to my hip belt, tied my staff to my back and allowed my bow to rest alongside my staff. Now that I had my things, I took in a deep breath and left my tent, making my way to join the commotion with a cheerful smile on my face. "I'm ready!"  
  
Everyone had stared at me with a stunned expression on their faces. The Elves had been shocked at how welcoming I was with this ludicrous idea of leaving the camp while Cullen and his two soldiers had most likely been shocked at my lack of glasses and brand new tattoos upon my face and pointed ears supplying my features. I must have looked like a clown, smiling through chaos, but I felt it was necessary. Keeper Deshanna approached me, Abelas appearing from behind me as she spoke. "Da'len, do not do this! You belong to our clan. You are to be my First! Do not leave because of some faded promise you feel so inclined to give to these Shem. They were the ones who took you from your previous home. We are the ones who have welcomed you in a peaceful environment. If you truly leave, you could be in incredible danger. We can't follow to protect you, Da'len."  
  
My smile froze on my face as the gentle nature in my heart shone. "I know, Keeper. But it's not just a promise I had made. It's a responsibility I must overcome. I _did_ promise to help the Inquisition in finding their Divine. I will not deny that. Besides, how else will I get rid of this mark on my hand?" Keeper Deshanna frowned at my cheerful display. "You are lying, da'len. I can sense it. I know you don't want to do this." My smile dropped only a tad bit but I still looked upon with warmth. "You're right, Keeper. I don't want to leave. I didn't want to leave my mother on Earth either. But here I am. You told me weeks ago that we are all connected." I placed my hands on top of hers gently. "I may be leaving now, Keeper, but I intend to come back. This forest, this camp. Our clan. It's where my heart is. I feel that I can't complete my training until I overcome this challenge in my life. All I ask, Keeper, is for you and our clan to send me off with a smile."  
  
"Da'len..." Keeper Deshanna sighed deeply before pulling me in for a tight hug. Once I was released from her heartwarming tug, I felt a couple of children gripping onto my boots, begging me to stay. With a sigh, Abelas kneeled down and lifted both children with ease, stepping them aside from my boots. "You are sure of this, Lethallin?" He asked with concern in his eyes. I nodded lightly, keeping my smile upon my face. "And you promise to return safely?" He continued. I blinked, realizing how worried he must be. "Yes. You have my word, Lethallan." I replied. "If that is so, da'len, then we of clan Lavellan will send you off with the smiles your desire and prayer to Mythal for your protection."  
  
It honestly was very difficult to hold in my tears. I truly did not want to leave such a beautiful home. But after waiting patiently for Cullen and his troops to examine the Rift they wished to investigate, I had plenty of time to prepare mentally for the journey ahead. Our Craftsmaster, Feuno, had given me a large supply of arrows, freshly crafted from the ironbark in the forest. The children, however, glued themselves to my side, begging for one last song to remember me by. I knew I had no time for musical peace though. When Cullen and the others had returned, they led me to a carriage full of hay and barrels. Leading the carriage were two brown horses, prepared for a journey to the South.  
  
Leaving the camp was awkward in all meaning. Silence bounced between all of us in the carriage. The only sound we could hear as we proceeded through the forest was the sound of the wheels hitting various rocks and gravel and the horses hoofs colliding with the dirt. I knew Cullen must have had thousands of questions, but from the disgruntled look on his face, he must have been quietly fighting with himself to not bring down my mood. He probably could have known how asking me such personal questions would have set my mood into a cluster. Drama was not what we needed right now. Looking at the other few companions on this trip, I could tell from how they sat that they were uncomfortable. Someone wanted to speak, but no one knew what to say. What _was_ there to say?  
  
Rustling through the trees, I could sense various members of my clan following our carriage with haste. Were they seeing me off? Watching the trees in silence, I could see that it was mostly children and hunters following me. The children were crying, refusing to watch me leave like this. _I know what they want but.._ Taking a deep breath, I stood up from my spot in the carriage and faced the forest behind us. "What are you doing, miss?" Cullen asked, probably thinking I was going to jump out of the carriage and ditch. "Shh." I replied. "Look just...just don't say anything okay? I have to leave my clan with a gift." Blinking at my answer with a confused expression, Cullen relaxed in his spot, keeping me in his sights at all times.  
  
Slowly, I brought my hands over my chest, forming the gentle music ball of light to appear from nonexistence. Closing my eyes, I erected a simple gentle and soft song. It was a song from a video game I use to play as a child. The song was sad but happy at the same time. It always gave me hope for a prosperous future whenever I listened to the song. As I played my song, I could sense the soldiers around me. A couple of them tapped their feet against the wood of the carriage, enjoying the song as I played. Cullen just kept staring at me, complete astonishment in his features as if I had just grown multiple arms. As for my clan, the children had slowed their chase to a gentle stroll as they listened to my tune. The hunters still followed the carriage through the trees, lead by Abelas. I knew he was extremely worried for me. But I didn't want him to feel regret for letting me go. So once my song had finally ended, with the final note, I collected the ball of light in my hands and shot the energy to the surrounding trees, creating tiny white butterflies to soar into the wilderness playfully until they disintegrated into sparkled essence. Abelas stopped jumping from tree to tree as a few butterflies floated around him. He blinked, looking back at me as I finally faded towards the South, leaving the forest behind me with a sad smile upon my face. _I won't forget you._  
  
Now that my gift to my clan had ended, I felt it right to return to my seat in awkward silence. I avoided looking at any of the soldiers, silently wishing I hadn't needed to reveal such an embarrassing secret to them. But Cullen had broken our silence once I had returned to my seat. "You...really _are_ a mage. How is this possible?" I frowned softly. "Dunno. It just...started happening after I fell from that...thing." I looked up at him. "Sorry for disturbing you all. The children had been begging for me to play one more song for them." Cullen and his soldiers all shook their heads. "Not at all! In fact..could you..play some more? While you played I...we couldn't think of any dangers or cautions we are to face. It calmed us. Right?" He looked to his soldiers, all of them nodded in fast agreement. "Y-You sure? I don't really play songs for people outside of my clan.." Cullen frowned at my words. "You..really have become one of them. Haven't you? I can't believe that was possible." I gulped, turning my gaze back to the wooden floor. "Y..Yeah."  
  
Silence remained for about a mile within our trip until I finally gave in and began to play another song. This one was slightly faster, having a more adventurous nature within each note. I felt it was appropriate for the journey ahead. Come to think of it, "So, where exactly are you taking me?" I asked as I played my song. Cullen, smiling lightly as he listening along with the group, answered with confidence. "We are taking you to Haven. There, our journey in finding the Divine begins." I blinked, focusing my concentration on the little ball of light within my hands as I thought about our destination. _Haven, huh? It sounds pleasant, but for some reason, I get this ominous feeling approaching. I hope it's just a feeling and not a premonition._  
  
Time had passed and the temperature of the warm and welcoming wilderness had become erased instantly as we traveled Southwest, entering up steep mountains. When I asked, a soldier informed me that Haven resided to the Southern part of the Frostback Mountains. The mountains themselves usually led most to Orzammar, one of the few remaining cities of the Dwarves. _I can't believe it. DWARVES. They exist?! Man, this place just keeps giving me too many surprises._ As I learned more about the freezing environment, we pulled aside for the moment as Cullen wanted to pull the tarp over us to block the snow from entering the carriage. After we were secure, Cullen and the soldiers returned to their seats and we continued on our path. It didn't take us too long to reach Haven. As we got closer, I looked through the opening in the tarp to view the village up ahead. Various small buildings were nestled upon the hill followed by a much larger building further behind. _Kinda looks like a church. It even has stained glass for windows._ Eventually we pulled to a stop in front of a large group of soldiers training in front of a gate. Cullen jumped out of the tarp, followed by his two comrades and finally turned towards me, holding out his hand for me to grasp. "Here we are, Lavellan. Welcome to Haven." 

 

 


	3. Nobody's Home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With too much pressure already put on her shoulders after officially meeting the few members of the Inquisition, Lavellan felt it necessary to ditch the feud for a minor moment of peace. But her desperate need for alone time quickly becomes shattered as an unexpected audience graced her with his presence. Will the young Lavellan find solace in Solas?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *She reads her summary and nods with a confident grin*  
> Okay, that's much better of a summary lol  
> Yes, I know I used a song in this by Avril Lavigne (Eff my spelling....)  
> Sorry if you don't like her music but I just figured it was perfect to go along with the mood of the story.  
> If it really bothers you that much, just do what I do: Skip it and move on. :P

 

"I thought you said she was a human, Cullen?" A woman dressed head to toe in a shiny silver suit of armor, complete with a blazing sun for an emblem on her chest, barked at the Knight Commander by my side. The woman stood with a judgmental look upon her face. One that didn't look pleased at all. It was obvious she was referring to me. Yet, despite the woman's aggressive nature in her voice, Cullen remained calm as he went on to explain. "She _was,_ Cassandra _._ Be thankful I had finally found her and returned to Haven safely." The armor clad woman, Cassandra, looked at me for a split moment before returning her glare to Cullen. "She's an elf, Commander. You said she was human from Earth. How could she have physically had changed her body?" An annoyed sigh escaped Cullen's mouth as he turned towards her. "I'm sure she would love to find out for herself. However, right now is not the time. What is this commotion we keep hearing?"  
  
Stepping aside, Cassandra pointed towards a pathway leading up the mountain. "Apparently a new Rift had opened up and it is too close to Haven. We have sent in a team to dispatch a horde of demons from approaching as well as another team to direct civilians away from the chaos. There were casualties, unfortunately." Cullen frowned at her words then removed his longsword from its sheath strapped from his hip. "Great. Just what we need. You mind taking care of her while I help out with my soldiers? I can at least distract the enemy from getting any closer." Cassandra crossed her arms and looked at me with scorn. "I'm not here to babysit, Commander. But, if your report is accurate, she must still have a connection to the Rifts. Solas would want to take a look at her...mark?" Finally noticing the green glowing mark upon my left hand, Cassandra snatched my tainted hand and turned her aggression towards me. "I thought it was just an aura of green radiating off of your hand. What in Andraste's name is _that_?!" I returned her glare with one of my own, pulling my marked hand from her grasp. "How the Hell should I know?!" I finally spoke, or more like yelled, at this woman. Cullen was obviously shocked at my instant reaction, but he must have realized I was getting sick of being the center of attention.  
  
Cassandra, however, would not relent. She demanded for answers I did not have. _Not like I would give her any answers. God, she's such a bitch!_ Keeping my irritated thoughts to myself, I decided to ignore her rants to examine the terrain around me. At a distance, Haven was seen as a typical village complete with tiny buildings checkered from hill to hill. A larger building stood on top of a further hill far behind the village's buildings. I can only assume it was a church or city hall of some sort. But the one thing that took my attention the most was the giant green swirl in the sky, looming above us all in a taunting manner of dread. I stared at this piece of distorted nature with a look of stunned disbelief. "Uh guys, ignoring the mark on my hand for a moment, you mind explaining why your weather is fucked up?" I asked, pointing to the giant hole in the sky like a child.  
  
Cassandra and Cullen both followed their gazes from each other to the gaping hole in the sky. Taking in a long moment to think, both soldiers returned their attention towards me. "That isn't a hazard of our weather. _That_ is why you are here. We call it the Breach. It gives birth to all of the Rifts that have been appearing throughout Thedas. Solas believes it is connected to the Fade. Though, it is only an assumption." Cassandra explained. "It would make sense, though. It would explain all of these demonic attacks." Cullen replied with a sigh. He looked back at me with a frown on his face. "I am deeply sorry for our current circumstances, Lavellan. But if you could, please leave this part of Haven with Cassandra. I must help my soldiers protect the town in the west. If lucky, I could draw the attention of the enemy without any problems. You two must get to safety." "I have a better idea, Commander." Cassandra interrupted, standing in his way for the moment. "How about I take her to Solas? He left with Varric to examine the closest Rift. If possible, she could be of help in this matter." Cullen grumbled below his breath before glancing back to me. "What do you think, Lavellan? It'd be dangerous. The road will be littered with demons and civilians running to safety. Do you really think you can handle this?" _The idea of traveling through complete chaos was not on my to-do list, but if I meet up with this Solas guy, perhaps he can get rid of this damn mark on my hand!_ With a determined nod, I accepted this challenge with full confidence.  
  
_I regret everything I just said. I really shouldn't have jumped in for this!_ As soon as I had followed behind Cassandra, we had to redirect a handful of civilians to a safer route then proceeded to move towards a frozen lake. Normally a frozen lake would have been a nice sight to see, but this? At random parts of the lake, I had seen corpses littered upon the ice, clutching their sword or shield while a few others were just ripped apart like a twig. It was horrible. _All of these people...dead. I may not have known any of them, but no one should suffer a death like this._ I prayed silently for the deceased before I would continue following Cassandra.  
  
"So, who are you exactly?" I finally had decided to say something. All of this walking around in silence was too much for me to handle. Cassandra didn't seem to mind my question, luckily. "My name is Cassandra Pentaghast. Seeker of Andraste." I blinked, watching her form jump up a ramp on top of a rock. "What's a Seeker?" I asked softly. Cassandra turned towards me, waiting patiently for me to climb up. "To put in terms for your understanding, Lavellan, I would suppose the easiest way to describe the Seekers are a police force for the Chantry. And if you did not know, a Chantry is a church of Andraste. And Andraste is-." "The prophet and bride of the Maker. I know that much. Master Feyn taught me much I needed to know." I finished for her with a smile. I jumped up the ramp, meeting the Seeker with a confident grin on my face. "I'm surprised. Most Dalish wouldn't perceive other religions other than their own. To find out that you learned of Andrastian knowledge from a Dalish clan is honestly...unpredictable." I tilted my head at her words. "That's not a bad thing, is it? I was curious, so I asked. He answered respectfully with no problems." Cassandra smiled, listening with a satisfied sense of approval. "How honorable. Come. The others must be near."  
  
We continued up the hill, avoiding the random litter of dead bodies as we soon heard shouting up ahead. As we got closer, my mark on my hand began to surge with pain. I tried to keep my cool, but as we finally reached the Rift, intense pain soared through my arm. "Ugh!" I shrieked, gripping a hold of my arm as we approached the Rift. The Rift itself was much like a giant green shard of intense power. I could literally feel the Fade radiating from the center of the Rift. It was both inviting and intimidating. I can't believe that's even possible. However, the giant green shard was the least of my worries. The demons, however, were a much larger fear in physical terror.  
  
I myself had never seen a demon before. I've felt Spirits and most recently spoken to Spirits, if my interaction with Cole counts. But coming face to face with demons? These demons were definitely terrifying. A couple were the average height of a normal human but looked like a flaming beast. I remembered Master Feyn referring to them as Rage Demons. Apparently there were many different types of demons, Ranks, almost. I barely had the chance to examine these disgusting creatures as I dodged a blast of fire flying towards me and a dwarf. We both jumped out of the way and out of the corner of my eye I watched as he grabbed a hold of his crossbow and began firing a barrage of arrows at the beast. At the other side of the Rift, I watched as Cassandra pushed another demon into range for a bald elf to summon a blast of ice to stab the creature in the dead center of its chest, vaporizing the demon from existence. _W-woah._ "Lavellan, watch out!" Cassandra shouted at me, causing me to instinctively duck out of the way of a demon from slashing his claws at my backside. Grabbing my own staff in a death quivering grip, pointing my weapon at the various enemies up ahead. _Okay I can do this. I hope._ Taking in a deep breath of hesitation, I summoned multiple bolts of lightning, striking at every foe in my sight. Within minutes the threat faded and the bald elf rushed to my side, snatched my left marked hand in a tight hold and held it up at the Rift. "Quickly! Before more comes through!" The elf shouted at me right as the mark intensified with immense power, forcing a stream of green waves to connect from my hand to the Rift. Within seconds, the threatening Rift that had allowed those demons to pierce through our realm had caved in upon itself and shattered from existence.  
  
As soon as the Rift had closed, I yanked my hand away from the bald elf to examine my throbbing hand. "W-What..How'd you do that?" I asked, huffing heavily. The male elf pulled himself back, setting his staff aside as he smiled warmly at me. " _I_ did nothing. Closing the Rift was all on you, da'len." I blinked in confusion, staring at the mark upon my hand as Cassandra and the dwarf both joined in on our conversation. "Took you long enough, Seeker." Spoke the dwarf. Cassandra glared at him but ignored his smirk on his face. "I had to be sure Lavellan had arrived safely. It was Cullen's idea to have her rush here. I had no idea she'd be able to actually close the Rift." She watched me slowly. "There may be hope yet." The dwarf chuckled lightly, returning his crossbow to the hatch on his back. "I guess I owe someone ten silvers, then." I looked over at the dwarf, confusion plain on my face. "I'm sorry, did you just say you made a wager on whether or not I'd be able to seal that...thing?" The dwarf shook his head and shrugged. "Eh, it's not _that_ big of a deal, is it? Seeker owes me fifty." Cassandra huffed in arrogance as she faced us. "Ignore the dwarf. Aside from his rare hint of kindness in helping defeating those demons, he's usually full of shit." The dwarf pretended to feel like he had gotten shot in the heart. "Ouch! Your words are painful, Seeker. But, she has a point. I really do tend to be full of shit." I fought the urge to laugh at the dwarf as he shrugged and held out his hand toward me. "Varric Tethras: rogue, storyteller and, occasionally, unwelcome tagalong." He introduced himself politely, if not with a pinch of humor to his words. "A-ah. Hi." I accepted his hand, shaking it lightly. _I honestly don't know what to make of this._ "Um.. That's a nice..crossbow you have there." Was that nice enough to a dwarf? "Bianca? Heh, yeah. She gets me through thick and thin." "Bianca?" I asked. He named the crossbow? He shrugged simply, turning away as he moved behind the bald elf. The elf in question merely shook his head and approached me calmly. Now that the chaos was out of the way, I was about to see that this elven mage was a little bit cute. Although, I wasn't much of a fan for cleffed chin. His smile was nice though. He approached me with that same smile, holding his own hand out for me to accept. "You must have had quite the journey, da'len. I must apologize for all of your troubles. My name is Solas."  
  
_Solas?_ Sudden realization washed over me as I instantly remembered what Abelas had told me. Solas was the reason why I got chased in the Fade. I could have died! I was taken from one world and into the next and it's all because of _this guy_! By enraged instinct, I refused his outstretched hand and instead slapped him firmly across the face. He was obviously stunned, his eyes wide with crazed shock. "Did I deserve that?" He asked, heating up my rage even more. "Huh. Didn't expect _that_." I heard Varric mutter from behind Cassandra, who was also in shock. As for me, I burned thousands of glares at Solas. I wanted to do _so_ much more than a simple slap to the face. " _You're_ the son of a bitch who brought me here! Because of _you_ I had to leave my mother with my fuck up of a father! Because of _you_ I had gotten thrown from one world and into one full of demons and terror! Did you know I had been chased in the fucking _Fade?!_ I could have _died_ because of you!"  
  
Solas, however, only listened to my rage with slow realization. The more I spoke, the more depressed his eyes became. He no longer held a welcoming smile on his face. "I.." He tried to find the words, but there wasn't time. A new wave of demons had suddenly arrived, pulling all of our attention away from the drama between us. "Another Rift must have opened. We should find Cullen. He must need our help!" I nodded at Cassandra's words, turning away from the brooding elf and made my way to put my fury on some enemies. As I scouted ahead with Cassandra, Varric decided to stick behind, shaking his head at Solas, who was still lost in thought. "You Elves. I get why she hit you, though. If I were in her pretty little shoes, I'd probably hit you too. You might wanna find another way of apologizing to her, Chuckles. I don't think you made it on her 'nice list'." Varric mentioned, sighing softly before he, equipped with his crossbow, decided to join the fray. Solas took another long moment before he too followed suit.  
  
An hour later, the four of us had returned to Haven. We had found one more Rift on the trail, closed it up after dispatching another horde of demons and tried saving a handful of people from a cave in from a burning house. With sheer luck we were able to save the elderly couple in the nick of time. Once we had returned, Cullen and his miniature set of an army cheered us, or more preferably me, on for closing the Rifts. "Come. We should report in at the Chantry." Cassandra said to me. I nodded silently. With a sigh, Varric decided to leave our group and head to his tiny fire pit stationed in front of a merchant. Solas, however, left in silence. I didn't know where he was going and I honestly did not want to know. Instead, I followed behind Cassandra, trying to keep my thoughts together.  
  
The Chantry was a beautiful display of comfort. The stained glass windows portrayed, what I assumed, are pictures presenting Andraste and what Andrastians believe the Maker would look like. Inside of the Chantry, various benches decorated the interior along with candles strewn throughout the entire building. Together, Cassandra and I walked through the Chantry to a room straight in the back. She called it the War Room. _Why would there be a War Room in a Church? I get that desperate times call for desperate measures, but that would make this more as a base for the military rather than a place of refuge for those in danger._ Despite my endless thoughts, I still followed her inside the War Room.  
  
"Oh Bless the Maker, you're alive! We were worried!" A tanned woman with the most gaudy golden dress I've ever seen came to greet us with a bright smile and a clipboard of paper and a candle held upon her hip. Behind her another woman, dressed in a dark purple cloak with light armor, appeared with her own smile as well. "My scouts had warned us of your arrival. They even saw you and our guest shatter the Rift with impeccable success!" The cloaked woman exclaimed with beautiful excitement. _Truly, this woman looks so pretty. And her accent! She's just...pretty! That can't be right. Not every beautiful person is always pure. I bet she has something dark about herself. I probably shouldn't pry._ Looking back to Cassandra, I wondered of what I should say. The tanned woman continued in excited speech. "Not only that, but as soon as the civilians had made it to Haven in safety, there were various people who have been calling our guest as Andraste's Herald. They believe she has been sent by the Maker Himself in Andraste's name to guide us from this chaos!" The cloaked woman giggled gently at the tanned woman's words. "Sounds like you believe these rumors just as much, Josie."  
  
I must have looked like a confused kitten because at this point, I had no idea what they were talking about. _Herald of Andraste?_ "I think we have had enough chaos for one day. Anyway, I believe introductions are in order." Cassandra said to me. I nodded lightly, trying to understand the situation. "You have already met our Knight Commander, Cullen. He is still outside, helping the injured. As you may have remembered, I am Cassandra, Seeker of Truth in the church of Andraste." She introduced with her fist to her chest, a gentle bow in her stride as she presented her formality. The tanned woman introduced herself next. "Please forgive us of our idle chatter, Miss. I am Josephine Montilyet from Antiva. I am the Inquisiton's Ambassador. I can provide helpful knowledge of Orlaisian politics." I nodded with a smile toward her. Glancing next to her, the next lady crossed her arms to introduce herself. "My name is Leliana. I work as the Inquisition's Spymaster and advisor as well. Welcome to Haven, Lavellan." I nodded my head shyly. "Y-Yes, thank you. I-I'm.." Cullen placed his hand on my shoulder, appearing from the doorway behind me. "Everyone already knows who you are, M'lady. For the moment, you are safe now."  
  
"Glad to know you had rejoined us, Knight Commander." Lady Montilyet chuckled gently. Cullen simply shook his head with a sigh as he walked over to stand beside the two women. Cassandra stood beside me, rolling out the map of the land upon the war table. "It seems the Maker smiled on us today. Casualties were low. I asked Solas about the origins of these Rifts. Apparently they _are_ connected to the Breach. Not only that, but the Breach has been growing stronger." Cullen reported. "Yes, we've noticed." Cassandra said with her arms crossed. "However, now that Lavellan has arrived safely, with her help, we were able to dispatch the two Rifts with ease." Josephine and Leliana nodded in agreement, pleasant smiles broad across their faces. "Whether or not the rumor of her being Andraste's Herald doesn't seem to matter for the moment. Fact is, she has the ability to close the Rifts. It _may_ be possible for her to close the Breach for good!" Josephine spoke, glancing at her board of papers proudly. **Badump**  
  
Cullen, however, didn't seem so full of approval. "How, exactly? We have no nobility to aid our defenses, the Chantry is in heavy doubt, knowing that our Herald of Andraste is an Elf, and our Inquisition is too small to stand a chance." Leliana finally spoke up. "Perhaps we could gain the aid of the mages? They have helped in our previous Blight. I don't see why they wouldn't wish to aid in this." Cullen looked at her in shock. "Are you mad?! The Breach literally leads to the Fade. Place a few mages out there and they are more than likely to be taken over by demons!" Obviously, Cullen had no love for mages. "If anything," He continues. "Asking for help from the Templars would be more sufficient." Leliana frowned slightly. "How would asking their help be any different from the mages? The mages at least have more experience with the Fade. They have already survived their Harrowing. I'm sure they can withstand an attack from the Fade itself." **Badump**  
  
In a hasted motion to disrupt the flames emerging from the two, Josephine tapped her pen against the wooden board in her hands, earning both feuding advisors to halt their commotion to turn their attention upon her. "I hate to interrupt but there _is_ a third option. Though, it may have some difficulty in completion of the task at hand." Silence filled the room as we awaited for her to continue. "Mother Gisele has been seen near Redcliffe in the Hinterlands region. She has been aiding a village of refugees. Apparently, however, there is a mild confrontation involving rouge mages and Templars. Unfortunately, we have no knowledge as to who is leading either attack. But nonetheless, the remote village has been searching for aid." Cullen nodded with understanding. "I see. With Mother Gisele's help, she could try to convince the Chantry to rethink of their distaste of the Inquisition, possibly earning us spiritual help and advice for our soldiers." Leliana soon spoke up. "But how are we to help? We can't just send in an army we barely have to defend a small village. There is only so much we can do against a revolt against two separate factions." Josephine nodded in agreement. "Which is why we will have our Herald make an appearance. Though she is an Elven mage, she already has followers praying for her protection. I think seeing her would boost morale and possibly gain allies." **Badump**  
  
One more nod of approval came from the Knight Commander. "I see. Yes, that does make sense. She could have Cassandra, Varric and Solas to help guide her. The Hinterlands can be a bit dangerous, especially with the Templar-Mage feuding going on." The Spymaster crossed her arms and looked to the Knight Commander with her own smirk gracing her face. "Don't forget about the Dragon flying around. My scouts have located a large Dragon nest settled to the North East of the Hinterlands, opposite of Redcliffe. The Arl did send a handful of soldiers to hunt the creature down, but none have survived. One of my scouts had even barely escaped from being scorched by the beast's flames. She is currently being attended to in the apothecary. Her injuries were minor, luckily." **Badump**  
  
_W....What...?_ My heart was racing as I listened to these...people...discuss the coarse of my life as if I wasn't even there. I couldn't find any words to speak as they prattled on. It was one thing after the other! I had just _met_ these guys. They don't even bother to ask me for my own opinion. They really expect me to be able to do _any_ of this? "Herald?" Cassandra's voice broke me from my thoughts. I looked up at her with a shocked look upon my face. "H-Huh?" I squeaked lightly. "Are you okay? You look a little-" "R-restroom!" I blurted out, earning various looks from around the table. "Oh! Yes, it's down the hall to the left. Would you like me to lead you there?" I should my head at Cassandra's offer and smiled weakly as I moved towards the door. "I'll be fine. Don't worry! I'll be right back." And with that, I made my way to the restroom.  
  
Once the door was shut, I leaned against the doorframe and clutched my chest tightly, feeling my heart rumble against my body in a loud drumroll. I felt like I couldn't breathe, yet I was huffing like a parched dog. _H-Herald? A civil war against the Mages and Templars? What the fuck even IS a Templar?! A-and now there are fucking DRAGONS on this God forsaken piece of rock?! How the Hell do these people expect ME of all people to do all of this?! AND they want me to fix the fucking SKY?! What, do they plan to catapult me from a fucking mountain at the sky and just EXPECT me to sew it up with a needle and thread?! I...I...I can't do this...I CAN'T!_ Out of the corner of my eye, I could see a window, open slightly to allow a gentle breeze to find its way into the room. The gentle breeze was welcoming, if not cold. It gave me a moment's chance to take this chance.  
  
Sighing heavily to himself, Solas had stood at a small desk in a run down tiny building to the right of the Tavern. He could hear laughter and music erupting from the bar next door, yet despite the joyous nature begging to invite him in, Solas just couldn't bring himself to smile. "...Damn it.." He cursed lightly to himself, not noticing his Dwarven friend had snuck in from the doorway. "Thinking about the girl, are you?" Solas readjusted his posture, grabbing a random book from the shelf next to him. "Barging into another person's room is a rude gesture, child of the Stone." Was his answer, earning himself a chuckle from the Dwarf. "I did knock, Chuckles. But you wouldn't answer, so I let myself in." His smirk grew. "So, was I right?" Silence came from the male elf, earning another chuckle from the bare-chested Dwarf. "I'll take that as a heavy 'yes'." Irritated, Solas slammed his book upon the desk and glared at the Dwarf from the corner of his eye. "Shouldn't you be in the tavern or something?" Varric simply shrugged, leaning against the wall with an amused smirk on his smug face. "I was. But after hearing the patrons chanting constantly about our lovely 'Herald', well it made my drink turn sour. So, I decided to see how my good Elven friend was coping with the sting on his face." Frowning as he listened to the Dwarf's words, Solas unconditionally touched the side of his face which had gotten slapped earlier that day. The numbness was definitely gone but a different type of scar remained in its place.  
  
Shaking his head with his smirk in tact, Varric fought back another bark of laughter as he watched the broody elf contemplate quietly. "I must admit, I wasn't expecting her to be so feisty." Finaly, Solas began to speak. "Did you see the look on her face? She wanted to cry. Begged for it. I hadn't meant to send her to the Fade. The amulet must have done that by accident. It was meant to send her here, along with Cullen and the others." Silence stood still for only a moment. "Why?.. Why did the amulet send her through the Fade?" "And through a Rift in the Free Marches, remember?" Varric added. "Yes. She fell, the Dalish had said. I'm surprised. They took her in easily, with no complaints." Varric nodded at Solas' words, walking over to him slowly. "I think you're missing the most shocking of all, Chuckles. Curly said the girl came from a _human_ world. Not Elven. So how is it that when she fell from the Rift that she began physically changing to an Elf, hm?"  
  
Unfortunately, the two men's conversation had to be put on hold as a sudden knock came to the door. "Solas! Solas, open up! We need your help urgently!" Cullen's voice echoed from the other side of the door. Solas looked to Varric with confusion plain on his face before he opened the door. "What is the matter, Knight Commander?" He asked. "The Herald, Lavellan. She's missing!" Pale shock washed itself upon the bald elf's face. "Where did you last see her?" Varric asked, walking up to the two taller men. "She was speaking with us in the war room before departing for the restroom. She said she'd be right back, but that was forty minutes ago. Cassandra is already looking to the northern woods passed the gate. Leliana had sent her scouts to the southern exit. I was hoping maybe you could possibly sense her with your magic skills. Seeing as how she is a mage as well, you could possibly have sensed her nearby." Nodding with understanding, Solas stepped out of the small building and looked around. "She couldn't have gotten far. Go tell Cassandra to come back. The gate was most likely locked. I doubt she would have ran away." Varric nodded in agreement. "Chuckles is right. I'll go see if she went to the tavern. Maybe she was thirsty?" Leaving the two taller men, Varric headed back to the tavern. Cullen decided to go with Solas' plan and went to fetch Cassandra back to Haven. "Da'len..." Muttering softly to himself, Solas focused upon the young female elf, quickly sensing a gentle hint of magic coming from the frozen lake to the west. "Hm.." He mumbled quietly as he made his way towards the frozen lake.  
  
I knew I shouldn't have ran. Well, I suppose I didn't really run too far. I had only wanted some time to myself. To _be_ myself. All I did was listen to them talk over and over about me. I had never felt like a third wheel any more than I had today. Dragons, the Breach, wars. _I haven't even hunted a real animal before. How can they expect me to do this? Yeah, I got rid of those demons and the two Rifts but I wasn't alone. I don't even know how I did it! If that bald elf hadn't grabbed my hand and forced me to close that Rift, I wouldn't have known how to use this freaky mark!_ Gasping lightly to myself, I suddenly remembered the harsh slap I did to him. He was so shocked at what I did. _I..I must have hurt him... God! What is wrong with me? How could I have slapped a guy I don't even know! He was only trying to help. I shouldn't have done that!_ Feeling even more depressed, I slunk my body down to the frozen lake, hanging my feet over the pier gently. My feet swayed slowly back and forth as I stared at the frozen horizon in front of me.  
  
Remembering back to my time on Earth, I reminisced my family. My mother. I often wondered how she must have felt when I had to leave. Did she cry? She must have cried. And what about my Dalish clan? I could have been a First! I have the talent to help our clan. I missed playing songs for the children, listening to the stories Master Feyn recalled to us. I even missed Abelas. What would the clan do if they were here? Keeper Deshanna would probably be by my side, stroking my back with her wrinkled hands and a gentle voice speaking hushed whispers to ease my worries away. But I don't have that here anymore. I'm not surrounded by people I know or care about. _I agreed to help find some Divine woman... Not this.._ My vision became blurry as tears raced to my eye lashes. "How...could this...have happened? I can't do this... God.. Mythal... _whatever_ God there is on this planet... I don't care. I.. I pray, wish, anything... Just please... Help me.." I prayed as a gentle sob fell from my lips. I closed my eyes, wishing that what ever God that existed would actually listen to my prayers for once. **How was I to know that there was one God who was listening?**  
  
Hiding behind a thick tree, Solas was listening to me silently. I of course had no idea. My mind was too flustered on my emotions. Emotions of which I wanted to pour out. The only way I knew how to release my stress was to hold my hands out in front of me and erect the usual white ball of musical talent from out of nowhere. The song was obviously a sad tune, even if at times the beat moved a bit faster. However, this time I decided to sing. My voice was typically gentle, sad and lonely. I was never a singer for the stage, and I never wanted to be. I knew I could sing but my voice was meant for myself. The song was one from my world, Earth. A song sung by Avril Lavigne. I felt it best to echo my own feelings through a song of pain that she too had felt. I sang, never knowing someone was listening to every word.  
  


I couldn't tell you  
Why she felt that way  
She felt it everyday  
And I couldn't help her  
I just watched her make  
The same mistakes again

What's wrong, what's wrong now  
Too many, too many problems  
Don't know where she belongs  
Where she belongs  
  
Snow fell silently as my voice carried through the gentle breeze. I shivered as the wind blew, but I kept my song going. I didn't want to stop. I wanted to let my pain fly away from me. There wasn't anyone for me to tell my pain and fears to. My mother never understood. My father was usually the source of my sorrow. I barely had any friends. I had gotten so use to being by myself, I would comfort my own heart by singing to myself. No one needed to hear me. I didn't want anyone to hear me. Just my own heart. And so I continued.  
  
She wants to go home  
But nobody's home  
That's where she lies  
Broken inside  
With no place to go  
No place to go  
To dry her eyes  
Broken inside

Open your eyes  
And look outside  
Find the reasons why  
You've been rejected  
And now you can't find  
What you left behind

Be strong, be strong now  
Too many, too many problems  
Don't know where she belongs  
Where she belongs

She wants to go home  
But nobody's home  
That's where she lies  
Broken inside  
With no place to go  
No place to go  
To dry her eyes  
Broken inside

Over my head, I stared at the swirling vortex looming above Thedas. I glared at the Breach, wishing my death glare would be enough to send the swirling pit of doom to vanish, but of course my wishes weren't enough. Singing my song some more, I continued staring at the frozen lake, allowing my silent tears to finally set themselves free from my eyes. Slowly they'd crawl down my cheeks until finally dripping onto the ice, shimmering with the padded snow beneath my feet.

  
Her feelings she hides.  
Her dreams she can't find.  
She's losing her mind.  
She's fallen behind.

She can't find her place.  
She's losing her faith.  
She's fallen from grace.  
She's all over the place.  
  
Surprisingly, a couple of wolves had heard my singing from across the lake. I watched them as my voice softened, hoping the beasts would move along without threatening my moment of peace. It looked like my fears were of no need, however, as the small handful of wolves made their way over to me from across the ice. I hesitated, thinking I'd only have to stay frozen in movement. Maybe then they'd just leave peacefully. Yet, after seeing the wolves smell my legs softly and sit next to me, I came to realize that they were enjoying the song. _They...like it?_ Smiling ever so softly, I finally continued the remainder of my song, sensing my worries and woe float away as my song played on.

  
She wants to go home,  
But nobody's home.  
It's where she lies,  
Broken inside.  
With no place to go,  
No place to go to dry her eyes.  
Broken inside.

She's lost inside, lost inside, oh oh oh.  
She's lost inside, lost inside, oh oh oh.  
  
Finally, the song faded along with my voice. The wolves at my side had gone from sitting next to me to eventually curling up by my side, or nestling their head on my lap. Their fur were so soft and warm. I resisted the urge to cuddle up to one and hug it to my chest. However, my moment of peace had quickly diminished as a presence drew near, causing the wolves to growl and leave the pier. They had probably ran away back to their home. _But who would be approaching the lake at this late hour?_ Looking behind me, my eyes grew wide as I saw Solas walking towards me, looking at me with a sullen face. _Wait.. Why does he look like that?_  
  
Gasping sharply, I finally came to realize why the wolves ran away. "H..How long have you been there?" I asked him, shivering lightly. Solas didn't speak, well not at first anyway. All he did was stare at me with a frown on his face. "The entire time, Da'len." He finally answered. My heart raced as I blushed with embarrassment. _Crud. Double crud! He was listening?!_ "I-I.." I gulped, not knowing what to say. Solas shook his head, however, and held a blanket out to me. _When did he grab that?_ Hesitantly, I accepted the blanket, letting the fabric drape over my shoulder softly as I kept Solas in my sights the entire time. "Was that a song from your world?" He asked softly. I blinked and nodded, glancing away in embarrassment. "Y-Yeah.." I muttered lightly. "Um..Why are you here?" I felt the need to change the subject. "Cullen and Cassandra were worried. They have been getting everyone to look for you." I gasped and smacked my forehead lightly with the palm of my hand. "I'm such an idiot! I completely forgot! I'm so sorry, Solas. You didn't have to waste your time to find me. I really _did_ mean to come back. I just...didn't realize how long I was out here..."  
  
Smiling softly, Solas decided to sit next to me. "You sing beautifully, da'len." He spoke, but I quickly replied negatively. "Please don't lie.." He looked at me confused. "I beg your pardon? Why would I lie?" I shook my head as I sighed. "Look. I know I can sing fine, but beautifully? You don't need to exaggerate to make me feel better. I'd rather you to be honest. Besides, the song doesn't even belong to me. It's from one of many famous female singers on my planet." Solas blinked, thinking before speaking. "How many singers are on your world, exactly?" I smiled softly, fighting the urge to laugh at the question. "Um...too many to count, actually." He looked lost in thought once again before continuing. "And you believe I'm exaggerating? I'll be honest then. I'm not exaggerating. I truly believe you have a lovely voice. No matter how sad your song was, your voice was clearly lovely enough to carry the tune. Just ask the wolves you befriended." I blinked, stunned by his words. "W-wait you saw that? Why didn't you stop them? I thought they were mad at my singing and were going to attack me or something." Solas smirked at my reaction. "Are you sure about that? Because from what I remember, you were the one smiling when they nestled next to you." I blushed once again at his words. _I..He...W-What is with that smirk?!_  
  
Chuckling softly at my stunned reaction, Solas stood up from the pier and held his hand out to me. "Perhaps we should return to the village? The others must be worried." I frowned lightly but finally accepted his hand. I knew he was right, it was time to return. Silence blew around us within the windy snow as we both headed towards the small village. I watched him in my sights, wondering more about this quiet male elf. "Hey um... Are you...going to tell anyone about this?" Looking at me for a moment then back towards the road ahead, Solas shook his head. "No. You wished to keep it to your peace. I will honor your wish." I released a sigh of relief, thankful that he was understanding. "However," He spoke up and glanced my way with one more smirk. "I wouldn't mind listening to your voice again. As long as you wouldn't mind someone else instead of wolves as your audience." My eyes grew wide once more. _That...sly...devil!_ "Y-You're bribing me?!" Erupting in childish laughter, Solas shook his head once more. "No, da'len. I wouldn't think of such a thing. I only meant that I would love to hear you sing again. But only if you'd allow it. I'm not going to hold it against you. You have my word." I looked away, pondering. "I-I...guess it's okay. B-But don't expect it to be any time soon, okay?" He nodded in agreement as we soon began to see the gates up ahead. "Of course. I'd rather hear you when you are most comfortable." It took a moment before I began to smile and echo Solas' laugh with one of my own. "Hey, Solas?" I asked. "Yes, da'len?" He answered calmly. "I'm sorry for slapping you." He looked over at me silently. I could almost feel his thoughts as he stared into my eyes. "No. I deserved your rage. You were right. I _am_ the reason why you are here. I took you away from one life and sent you into another. You should be furious. However.. I still wish to help you." He smiled warmly at me. "Da'len, if possible, would you find it in your heart to see me as your friend?" I chuckled softly, nodding in agreement. "Of course, Emma Falon." I smiled proudly at my given knowledge of Dalish speech.  
  
The instant we entered the center of Haven, Solas and I had become swarmed with Leliana's scouts, Cullen and Cassandra all approaching us from random angles. "Ah, finally! We were worried, Herald!" Cassandra chanted, a look of sheer relief upon her face. "Why did you leave suddenly like that, Herald? It's far too late at night to be strolling by yourself." Cullen chastised me for my actions. Yet, it was Solas who came to my defense. "I believe it's hardly lonesome if she was with me, Knight Commander. And if I remember correctly, her name is of the Lavellan clan. It'd be wise not to lightly assume she is the Herald of your Andraste without any proof." Cullen glared at Solas for standing up for me. "I don't take kindly to your words, apostate." Solas returned Cullen's glare with one of his own. _I get the feeling they don't like each other._ "Uh guys? I really am sorry for leaving like that but there's no reason for you two to fight like this. I'm back now and I'm safe, thanks to Solas. So....can we just move along and forget about this?" I tried to extinguish the tension between the two, but it didn't seem to work so far. "I'm sorry, _Lavellan_ , for my sudden rudeness. However we were all worried about your safety. We can't just lose you all of a sudden like that. We need you now more than ever." Cullen apologized.  
  
However, Solas didn't seem to approve of the Knight Commander's words. "If that is so, then allow her to rest. She had just arrived in Haven, closed two Rifts made from the Breach, rescued various innocents from harm of demons and yet you believe _now_ is the time for her helpful guidance? You are asking for far too much, Commander. Of course she'd wish for time to herself. Perhaps you should think of her own concerns first before pushing her into the horde itself." Cassandra stepped forward, feeling offended by Solas' remark. "Now hold on just a moment, Solas. We weren't assuming anything." Yet, Solas fought back. "Is that not so, Seeker? You never spoke about what she must do in a world she barely knows or has accustomed to just to find one woman? Lavellan is terrified. She is from another _world_ , Seeker. Give her some time to breathe and understand our own world first before she takes the next step. She needs to find confidence in herself. Not this." I stood, stunned by Solas' strength in his words. I hadn't asked him to defend me. He did it himself. Was he trying to prove his friendship towards me? He didn't have to do that. Or maybe he did. Cassandra and Cullen both looked to each other silently before looking at me with sadness in their face. "I..We apologize, Lavellan. We have no excuse for our actions." Cullen apologized with a respectful bow of his head. "H-Huh?" Was my only response. I couldn't make heads or tails of what just happened. "Solas is right. It is late and we all must rest. I will discuss about this to Josephine and Leliana. But for now, how about you get some rest, Lavellan? You must be exhausted." Cassandra asked with a sad smile. I hadn't expected any of them to react this way. They must have realized the truth in Solas' words. I'll have to thank him one day. But for now, I'll have to agree with Cassandra's offer of rest. Tomorrow will be another long day. I should prepare for my future.  


 

 


	4. Trained To Kill

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Training day! What better way to train, than to turn up the heat with magic and booze? Oh wait. She's not training with Varric. lol

 

Waking up in Haven the next day was more of a groggy awakening. I had barely any sleep, despite my trying efforts. I mainly just laid down in my bed, stared at the wall and thought about what I am to face. _So, I guess I'm going to be here much longer than I thought. Sure, I need to help find this Divine lady, but now I need to fix this Breach thing? I can barely fight on my own, let alone fix the damn sky. God..I wish I was home. Volunteering at the fair is so much easier than this._ Hours went on as my thoughts continued to roll. If anything, I probably only had two hours of deserved rest. I doubt I'll get plenty of sleep until my mind is more at ease. But right now, I've got to calm not only my mind, but my body as well. I need to prepare myself for what is to come.   
  
Thankfully, the morning sunlight was a welcoming gift to this cold environment. Sitting up in my bed, I stretched with a long yawn before putting my apprentice robes on for the day. No one came to summon me back to the war room. Perhaps they figured I should rest more? However, my mind was rolling with too much, I couldn't sit still. Once I was finished getting dressed and putting my long hair back up into a pony tail, I finally left my tiny bedroom to enter into the center of town. To my right, I could see a decent large group of soldiers, along with Cassandra and Cullen, training amongst themselves and training dummies.  
  
Yawning once more, I decided to join the two leaders, overhearing them both complaining about the soldiers' morale. "Most of these people are not even proper soldiers, Cullen. They are volunteers from the nearby villages." Cassandra spoke, her arms crossed over her chest. Cullen simply shook his head with a sigh. "I am doing everything I can to train them, Cassandra. However, what they need right now is not only training, but stronger gear. Look at them all. Their armor is barely hanging on and most of them have dents and tears at the edges." Cassandra frowned at the realization. "What should we do then, Knight Commander? We haven't had any contacts from the Templars and Orzammar's gates are currently closed off for what ever reason their King has dictated this time." Cullen stroked his facial hair with his left hand, thinking quietly before he finally answered. "What about that offer we had received from the Hinterlands? We could even find a horse master, if possible." Cassandra begins to speak to add to the conversation, but stops instantly as she sees me approaching. "Ah, Lavellan. You are up this early?"  
  
I smiled weakly at her before I nodded. "Yes. I couldn't sit still in bed. Um, I over heard what you two were talking about. Is everything alright?" Cullen crossed his arms, shaking his head lightly. "The soldiers are in training at the moment, but they will need more motivation, stronger armor and sharper blades if they are to survive. We lost too many at the Conclave. We must not let another catastrophe happen again." I raised my hand lightly, much like how I would in school. "Um..Conclave?" Cassandra answered for me. "The Conclave is a meeting set by the Divine. It belonged to her and it was meant as a peaceful moment for the Templars and the Mages." I tilted my head at her answer, feeling even more confused. "Wait, the Templars and Mages are at war? And uh...what exactly is a Templar?" This time, Cullen answered. "The Templars are basically knights of the chantry, blessed with an enchantment and use of lyrium, to present order and aid to the Mages of the Circle. The lyrium a Templar consumes is a crystal filled with magical energy. Mages use lyrium to enhance their skills in magic, while the use of the item for a Templar aids the soldier to nullify the effects of magic spells from rogue Mages." Cassandra added, "However, many would assume the Templars initial goal is to control and lock away Circle Mages and to murder the rebels. And before you ask, Mages who go rouge are usually users of Blood magic. It is a fearsome type of magic, none should use. It is basically instant murderous intentions set upon the mage as well as summons of demons to aid and consume the weak minded. Fear has always been on both sides. That is why we needed the Divine's Conclave." I blinked, nodding slowly. "Um.. okay lemme see if I got this right. The Divine wanted these two different factions of people who have been having their own type of war to finally put their problems aside for an act of peace, right? Okay, I get that. But, you said it didn't work? There were casualties?"   
  
They both seemed amazed at my perceptive knowledge. "To be completely honest, I'm shocked you were able to pay attention. I'd figured that after coming from one planet to another, our ways would have been extremely difficult for you to understand. Oh. I'm sorry! I hope I didn't seem insulting to you, Lavellan." I smiled at Cassandra's words. "It's alright, Cassandra. You're right to think so about me. I was raised to always listen carefully when I don't understand something. I bet you think all of these questions I've been asking are quite strange in itself. Heh, come to think of it, you'd probably be even more confused about my own world compared to yours." Cassandra blinked and looked over at Cullen. "That's right. You went to her home world, Cullen. What was it like? Leliana and Lady Montilyet have both been eager to find out, but you haven't said anything." Cullen grew pale in the face as he looked to the ground. "..I don't want to talk about it. There was just..too much for me to grasp upon. Be thankful we were able to find our Lavellan, Cassandra." I fought back the urge to laugh at his reaction. _I had a feeling he must have been overwhelmed by Earth._ "Don't worry, Cassandra. Maybe one day I'll tell you a bit about my world. But for now, can you tell me what happened at the Conclave?"  
  
So much for having a pleasant morning. Apparently, this mark on my hand is heavily connected to the Breach. Cassandra and Cullen had explained to me that once the Temple of Sacred Ashes, which is a temple holding an urn of the prophet Andraste's remains, had been filled with both Templars and Mages, an enormous blast of energy had overthrown the entire Temple. Thousands of innocent lives were lost, the Divine had gone missing and the Breach hung overhead, pulsing with the dreaded energy which destroyed the peace in an instant. No one knows what truly caused the Breach to appear, but seeing as how I'm the only one who had traveled through the Fade and encountered some mystical woman, rumor has been going around about me. I'm either the Herald of Andraste, or _I_ am the cause of the Breach. As much as I would love to deny that fact, something about their story of the demise of the Temple of Sacred Ashes somehow felt...familiar to me. But why? I've never been there before... Have I? "Aneth Ara, da'len."   
  
Peering behind me, I notice Solas walking up to join our conversation. I smile as he approached. "Aneth Ara, Solas. What is going on with you?" Solas echoed my smile with one of his own. "I was actually on my way to see if you had awoken yet. Varric was wanting to know if you'd like to join us for breakfast in the tavern. It's honestly not my favorite place to eat, but I assume you'd appreciate finding out more about the locale." I nodded softly, accepting his offer. "Sure, that sounds nice." I glanced over to Cullen and Cassandra. "Are you two coming along too?" I asked. They both shook their heads. "Unfortunately, I must continue teaching our newest soldiers how to properly wield a sword." Cullen politely denied, glancing toward the new recruits of civilians training. "I already had a morning meal before daybreak. I have my own matters to attend to. Go on with Solas. I'm sure he and that Dwarf will be enough company for you to enjoy." Cassandra also denied my offer, smiling warmly at me. I nodded, understanding. "Looks like it's just you and me then." I looked over to Solas, following him to the tavern.  
  
Gentle music and bouncing laughter instantly welcomed us as we entered into the Tavern. Multiple people stopped draining their drinks to watch me, their assumed Herald, walk in their presence, before returning to their enjoyments. "Look, there is a table in the back. How about we sit there, da'len?" I nodded in acceptance to Solas' offer, following him quietly to join the table in the back. Varric was already sitting in the back, waving towards us with a welcoming wave of his hand. "Ah, the living beauty awakens to grace us with her presence." Varric welcomed me with a charming grin. I giggled softly as I took a seat next to him. Solas sat across from me, sending a tiny look at the Dwarf as he took his seat. "Do you always over exaggerate like that, Mr. Tethras?" I asked, earning a blinking look of confusion from the Dwarf. However it was Solas who instantly answered for him with an instant "Yes." Varric simply shrugged at Solas' words. "Speak for yourself, Chuckles." I tilted my head at Varric. "Chuckles?" An abrupt sigh escaped from Solas, followed by an answer from the bald elf. "He means me. Apparently it is my nickname. Though, I'm not that fond of it." "Most usually aren't, Chuckles." Varric replied, smirking towards the male elf. "Yeah, but why 'Chuckles'?" I asked curiously. Varric shrugged, "Why not? Does he _ever_ laugh?" Solas crossed his arms, shaking his head slowly. "Perhaps when your jokes finally have a true sense of humor to them, I _may_ laugh for you. But until then, no." Varric placed a hand over his forehead, an act of mockery plain on his face. "Oh, my weary heart!" I couldn't help but to giggle at the interaction between the two. Varric seemed pleased by my smile and began to stand up from his chair. "How about I get us all a bit of grub. You're not too young for a bit of Brakien Brew, I hope?" I blinked, raising an eyebrow at his question. Solas glared at the offer. "Young or not, I highly doubt it would be wise to give her hard liquor straight in the morning, child of the Stone."  
  
Varric rolled his eyes as he began to move towards the bar. "Fine fine. One glass of milk for the _child_ and one huge mug of tea for the humorless Elf." Solas grunted with a motion of disgust as we both watched the dwarf retreat to the bartender. Glancing over to him, I couldn't help but ask. "I know his jokes can be a little dry, but do you really need to glare at him like that?" Sighing softly, Solas relaxed into his seat, arms crossed over his chest as he peered my way. "That isn't the reason for my glare, this time. He's trying to spite me again with tea." "Tea?" I tilted my head, blinking in confusion. My male Elven friend frowned lightly, glancing away from me for a moment. "I detest the bland beverage." It took me a moment to picture Solas drinking tea with a sour-puss look on his face before I started to have a gentle fit of giggles. "It's not that funny." I kept giggling at his words. "Da'len...." Uh oh. Was that annoyance I heard in his voice? "H-hehehe S-sorry but that's just silly. It's only tea! You sure you just haven't put enough creamer or sugar in it?" He shook his head softly. "I don't like milk in my tea and who ever gives me the tea always puts far too much sugar in it. I've asked to just have it plain but even so, I still hate the stuff.. Do me a favor and please, just change the subject? I'm getting a bad taste in my mouth already.." My smile grew as I nodded. "Mmm alright, but maybe you should try a drop or two of honey next time? That's what I do and it works for me. Just need to find a beehive, I guess?"   
  
Thinking silently in my seat about a new subject, I failed to notice the movement of Solas' left eyebrow jumping up in interest at my request. Out of earshot, I noticed the female singer, strumming her guitar gently, change the slow tune to _another_ slow tune. I frowned lightly, listening to the sad song of Andraste's Mabari. _Huh. What's a Mabari? And what's with the sad music? This is a bar, right?_ "Is something the matter, da'len?" I blinked and looked back to Solas. "Oops! I'm sorry. I must have been too quiet." He only continued watching me silently. "Ah..Well, I was wondering. Why are all of these songs so sad? Does this world not have any fun or joyous songs? Things can't be _that_ bad....right?" I asked as Solas leaned his chin on top of his fist. "Mm. I see. The songs in this Tavern are symbolizing the typical energy in a normal tavern. Even though you visually see each patron laughing with a smile on their faces, I guarantee, da'len, that the true emotion in this building is either of fear or sadness. Many of these people have lost homes, family, land and honor. It is a struggle for most to even get up in the morning to greet the sunlight. It is through these sad songs which one listens to that brings that one person the simple strand of hope for a future. The words of a song may be sad, but the story still puts a hint of life within one's heart."  
  
My green eyes grew wide as I listened to Solas' speech. "W-woah. Solas..that was very poetic." He chuckled softly, followed by a gentle smirk gracing his thin lips. "Ma serannas, da'len. However, I must agree with you. These sad songs are not of my taste. I prefer your own instead." I blushed lightly and turned my gaze to the wooden table. "M-mine? But mine was a sad song too.." I spoke softly, praying silently that no one else in the tavern would over hear our conversation. Solas didn't seem to mind, however. "Your song was true to your heart. Though it was sad, it held deep meaning with each lyric. Your own body was entranced by the song, da'len." My eyes grew wide once more as I stared at him in shock. "How _long_ were you watching me?" I wanted to shout in embarrassment, but I held it back as I stifled the embarrassed rage in my voice. Why this little temper tantrum of mine makes Solas' smirk grow by an inch is beyond me.   
  
Returning his arms to across his chest, adding to his proud attitude, Solas continued to speak. "I've been meaning to speak to you about your magical skill, da'len. Do you know what your musical trait is called or even how you came to harbor this skill?" I blinked once, trying to remember how I began playing songs for my clan. "Um well I don't know what it's really called but I remember when I first played. I was getting water for the clan. I had no idea Abelas was watching me. I was actually scared that he wanted me to speak to our Keeper about it. I thought I was in trouble. But, I guess it's a good thing if it makes people smile. Right?" Solas nodded slowly. "In all honesty, your musical talent is actually an extremely rare trait. One that was meant to appease the Elvhen Gods, in fact." I tilted my head a bit. "Really? So.. am I going to be in trouble for playing for my clan and Cullen? Or even you?" Solas raised an eyebrow once more. "You played for Cullen?" I shrugged lightly. "Sorta. It wasn't _for_ him. I played a farewell song for the children and the scouts as I was leaving. They were running behind us, wishing I wouldn't leave." I frowned slowly, gazing up at Solas with a worried glance. "I...I'm not in trouble or anything...am I?"   
  
Strange enough, Solas smiled warmly at me as he explained. "Mir'Sulahn. Typically speaking, you'd be a Songstress, da'len. One who sings to appease the Elvhen Gods. Do not worry. You are not in trouble. However, I think it'd be wise not to sing in front of anyone else besides me." Now it was my turn to raise my eyebrow. "Huh, why only you? If I'm some singer to the Gods, wouldn't it be more appropriate for me to sing to them and not you?" He sat silently before replying. "I.. I am a Dreamer, da'len. I walk through the Fade in my dreams. I have spoken to Spirits, explored memories of ruins and lore. I am certain no God will feel to smite you for singing to me." His serious demeanor quickly changed to a smirking tease once more. "Besides, _if_ you were to be threatened, I promise to protect you." I blush once more, yet before I could retort back, Varric finally returned to the table, balancing a service tray of three beverages on one hand while the other held a couple plates of food. "Didn't think I'd have to fight for a plate of food like that. Hey, you okay, Smiles?"  
  
"Smiles?" I echoed his questions as Varric returned to his seat, placing the plates and drinks on the table. "I'm not seeing a frown on those pretty lips. Now tell me, why is your face red?" I gasped and cupped my cheeks with my hands. "M-my face isn't red!" Shaking his head lightly, Varric simply shrugged in response. "Uh huh. You're not a good liar, Smiles. So," He began to speak, grabbing his beer, I'm guessing, before continuing. "What are you planning to do today, 'Herald of Andraste'?" I frowned lightly at the title. "Do you really believe I'm some...Herald, Varric?" The Dwarf merely shrugged once more, taking a big gulp of his alcoholic beverage. "Honestly, I don't think it matters what I think. To everyone else, you're a knight in shining armor, in a way. But to the Chantry, they are frightened to find out if you are or aren't some Herald. Mainly because you're an Elf." I raised my hand lightly, earning a taunting smirk from both Solas and Varric. "Um, why exactly is being an Elf a bad thing?"  
  
Solas was the first to explain. "Because we are seen as a small race, compared to the Humans or Qunari. In the company of Humans, Elves these days are typically seen as slaves or as wild as they come, barbarians. Then there are the Dalish, of which you are well aware of." Varric nodded, placing his glass back down upon the table. "Though with Chuckles, he's not either barbarian or Dalish." I looked over at Solas, stunned by this information. "Woah, really? Is that why Cullen called you an ap...apo...uhh?" "Apostate, da'len." Solas corrected for me. I nodded, waiting for him to continue. "Technically, all mages are apostates. And to answer your question, da'len, an apostate is a mage outside of the Circle. Humans seems to believe apostates are usually blood mages who are mindless and constantly making deals with demons. I, however, am not that. And neither are you." I nod once more, taking in all of this information.  
  
Varric watched us both, taking sips of his beer calmly as we spoke. "Ahem. So, Smiles, what did you want to do today?" He pushed the plate of fruit closer to me, most likely wanting to change the subject. I smile softly at him before peeling off a grape from the plate. "Um well...Cassandra and the others were talking about finding some woman named Giselle, I think? Somewhere in the Hinterlands?" Solas and Varric nodded, listening intently as they both drank their drinks. Solas, of course, would cringe occasionally before grunting and pushing his cup away from his body with a look of disgust on his face. "Well..what's the Hinterlands like?" I asked, popping the round piece of fruit into my mouth. Varric placing his mug back down before stretching his arms behind his head. "Big, for one. It's a lot of plains, hills and mountains. It's actually on the side of the Frostback Mountains and it leads to Redcliffe. There's a few villages here and there and plenty of people living and hunting." Solas continued, stealing a grape for himself. "Unfortunately, there is a civil war going on in the Hinterlands. Rebel mages and rouge Templars, apparently. It'd be wise to prepare your mind and body first before departure." I gulped and stared at my glass of milk. "Prepare? Wait, if...this is a civil war, does that mean I'll have to fight? People? I-I've never hurt anyone before. I can't do that."   
  
"Da'len.. I'm afraid you'll have to." Solas looked at me sadly. Varric nodded but all I could do was stand up from my chair. "No! This isn't what I signed up for, Solas!" I knew I was attracting attention in the bar, but I ignored it. "You're asking me to kill people. How can either of you think of doing such a thing and still smile like it's a typical day?" Varric held up his hands in a calming motion. "Now hang on, Smiles. You have to try to stay calm and we'll explain." I frowned in disbelief at Varric's words, but still tried to listen to him calmly. I slowly sat back down in my chair, reluctant to continue this conversation.   
  
"I get that it's not only strange for you but also tough for you to grasp. But as cruel as it may sound, you're not on your own planet anymore. I don't know what your planet ever did to survive wars and chaos but here in Thedas _everyone_ has to defend themselves from something." Varric explained with a pained expression on his face. Solas seemed to nod in agreement, continuing for the Dwarf. "You do not need to face these battles right this very moment, da'len. However, it is in the best interest to prepare for any encounter. You have been trained in the ways of hunting, yes?" I shrugged lightly at Solas' question. "I honestly only watched the hunters stalk their prey and hunt in the wilds. I may be skilled with the bow but I never used it on a living person. It was hard enough to try hunting an animal. I...It's a life in my hands. I have no right to decide whether or not they live. It's just not right."  
  
A gentle chuckle escaped from the story telling Dwarf next to me as he heard my speech. I stared at him, stunned for a bit. "Heh. You truly are from another world, Smiles." He shook his head once before speaking again. "Unfortunately, if you don't try to defend yourself in Thedas, you're going to be dead instantly. It might be a good idea to ask the Seeker or Curly to train you before heading out to the Hinterlands." I blinked in confusion. "Seeker or Curly?" "He means Cassandra or Knight-Commander Cullen, da'len. Cassandra is a Seeker of Truth, remember? As for Cullen, 'Curly' is Varric's nickname for the Knight-Commander." Solas answered for me. I nodded in a shy 'oh' before returning my gaze to the table.  
  
How I wish I could just wake up from this nightmare. I seriously don't want to kill anyone. Sensing the frustration in my silence, Solas spoke up once more. "Speak to us, da'len. We are your friends and we will do all we can to help you through your distress." I looked up at him, pondering over what I should say before I answered softly. "Well..I... In my world, some of us have this belief. One of the Ten Commandments, actually. 'Thou Shalt Not Kill'. It's a sin to murder. It doesn't matter if the person did wrong or not. It's not my right to take that person's life. So..I guess what I'm saying is...I know I'm not on Earth anymore but...Would I be judged based on my actions here? If I...kill someone, will I forever be a sinner to the Gods on this planet? What about my own God?"  
  
Clearly both Solas and Varric were confused by my own worrisome words. But after a moment of silence, Varric spoke up. "Shit. You really _are_ troubled. There's no way we're going to the Hinterlands yet. Not until we get your mind and body relaxed and prepared." I frowned at Varric's words but Solas interrupted before I could reply. "What the Child of the Stone means is that it doesn't matter where you are from. Death is to be expected anywhere. It is an unfortunate fact all must face. It is true that it is not in your hands to decide one's fate. However, when it comes to wars and chaos, would you really allow someone to take your own life, or would you stand up and fight to live? Many people we encounter will want to kill you for various reasons. Be it as crazed Templars seeking to wipe out those who carry magic at their fingertips. Or even a simple bandit, preying on your life to earn a silver coin or two. Do you not see, da'len? This isn't truly a matter of who is to die. It is a matter of who is to live." I gulped lightly, pushing a threatening lump in my throat to vaporize into the pit of my stomach as Solas reached his hand over to gently caress my left, Fade-marked hand. His touch was soothing and reassuring. I could tell how concerned he was through this one touch. It was honestly amazing how easily my fear began to subside by this one simple motion. "We need you to live, da'len. "  
  
"To answer your question, though, it's hard to say whether or not any God or Maker would judge you based on your killing. But, in all honesty, you're not the only one being judged." Varric mentioned, taking a bite out of a banana and gulping the fruity piece before speaking again. "If the Maker is going to be pissed at you for killing people, He's probably going to be pissed at them for killing many other innocent people. So, if I were you, do what the Chantry folk do and pray before you take a life. It probably won't work, but who's to say?" I sighed deeply before nodding slowly once again. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have made a scene." Varric waved his hand lightly. "No hard feelings. It's understandable that you're the one who has the most pressure on your shoulders. But how about we change the subject? How about you tell us about what you do for a living on your planet?"  
  
Well, so much for enjoying a simple breakfast with my two friends. After explaining to Varric and Solas about how I volunteered for various events and sometimes hospitals, I eventually had to go into further detail about what a hospital is, what a fairground is. Basically, every time I said something about Earth, one of the two men would perk up and ask 'what is that?' I'm not offended or annoyed about their questions. In fact, I wanted to laugh at their curiosity. They were like kids, so excited about a new pet in their home. But at one point my discussion with Solas and Varric soon became a detailed story involving the entire bar. Every patron wanted to listen to me speak about my alternate lifestyle. I was awkwardly popular for the strangest reasons. I would love to say it was a pleasant feeling to being noticed, but honestly, my fear was soon enough returning in my heart. I had never received so much attention before. I barely had any time for making friends or mingling with family members back on Earth. Yes, I missed my mother dearly. But, I had to focus on this new lifestyle now. All I can do is pray, like Varric said. _I wonder if praying will really work, though?_  
  
Hours passed and our plate of fruit had only a couple of grapes and banana peels left to litter the table. A set of empty glasses cluttered together next to the empty dishes, waiting for someone to clean our mess. Yet, various bystanders were still taunting me with questions. "I don't understand. There are no mages on your planet? How can that be?" A woman from next to our table asked with astonishment. I smiled at her, "That's right. Earth has no mages. Trust me, though. Many of us wish we had magic to solve our problems." A young male Elf peered in from behind the woman, asking his own question next. "But how do you defend yourself from enemies?" I tilted my head at the question, trying to figure out how to answer this question. "Um.. Well, a long time ago we used swords, daggers and what not. But not today. I mean...well, there are some people who still make blades but they are more for sport, rather than protection. Same goes for bows and arrows. But, to answer your question... Well, we have these things called guns. Kinda like what Varric has with Bianca, except instead of arrows, it shoot bullets. Uh which are these small round metal pellets. They are faster and probably more lethal too. Unfortunately, too many people rely on guns. As for protection, only our cops or military are truly authorized for those weapons. But basic civilians shouldn't use them, not unless they have a proper license to own the weapon. There are...many laws on Earth."  
  
In all honesty, I didn't like talking about the bad aspects of my home planet. Most likely sensing my hesitation, Solas once again found a way to change my sorrowful nature. "I'm curious, da'len. Despite how much your world seems to enjoy this heavy warfare, do your people have no time for fun and games? Is there no form of entertainment away from the bloodshed?" I couldn't help but giggle at Solas' curiosity. "Heh of course we have fun and games. The fairground I sometimes help out at has these giant mechanical rides throughout a large area. Thousands of people gather to ride these machines. Some are slow and gentle while most of them are fast and tall. Heh I remember once when I was a little girl, I went to the fairgrounds with my mother and father. We went on all the rides and ate from various food trollies. Besides the savory sweetness of a large frosted doughnut or the freezing sensation of a frozen ice cream, I think the best part of the fairgrounds were the fireworks during sundown." Varric raised an eyebrow, setting his alcoholic beverage away from his lip as he watched me beam from my reminiscence. "Fireworks?"  
  
I nodded, a wise grin on my face. "Yeah. Fireworks. If anything, that's probably the closest thing to magic we have on Earth. Although, it's not literal magic from our hands. It's these manmade devices full of gunpowder stuffed into these tubes. One person lights the tiny fuse from the bottom of the tube, backs away and shwoom!" I demonstrated an imaginary device shooting straight into the sky with my hands. "The device flies from the ground to the sky and explodes with a large booming sound. And what it leaves is a momentary display of colorful streams of light dancing in the sky. When I was little, I always thought they were enormous flowers blooming in the sky. They sparkled like the stars and roared with every color you could think of." I couldn't help but to smile childishly at my memory. "It was definitely magic in my eyes. Heh."  
  
Blinking once or twice after noticing the deafening silence echoing in the bar, I gulped shyly after realizing that I must have looked like a fool after telling my life story. Did I speak too much? "U-Um.." I stuttered, looking towards the exit of the bar. Should I run away or something? Yet, it looked like I didn't need to worry as soon enough, Varric began to laugh in humorous roar. "Haha! Sounds almost like Dwarven explosives to me. I'm almost envious of your world, Smiles. Ha! Hey, let's get our girl another round, would ya?" The female barkeep giggled lightly before nodding and preparing a new drink for me. I was still confused though. "I don't understand. You have fireworks here?" Varric shook his head before answering. "I don't know what these fireworks are, but Dwarfs do have large explosives back in Orzammar. Though, whether they are anything as powerful as a Qunari's explosives is another story."  
  
"I hate to interrupt but perhaps this is a good time for you to train, da'len?" Solas asked, standing up from his seat. A few patrons in the bar groaned at Solas' words but they too inched away, most likely knowing he was right. I nodded in agreement, pulling myself from my own seat as well. "Aw, come on. You can't just leave us like that. You're really going to stiff me with the tab, Chuckles?" Solas, of course, kept his cool and shrugged lightly as he headed towards the exit. "If memory serves correct, it was you, my Dwarven companion, that insisted on paying for our meal. You don't intend for our young da'len to pay with a currency of which she does not have, do you?" Varric rolled his eyes at Solas' remark but still waved us on as we both left the bar.  
  
"Was it really that big of a deal? I don't mind waiting for him to finish his drink, Solas." I asked, walking behind the bald Elf as we headed toward the Apothecary. "It would not be a good idea to attempt to wait for a Dwarf to finish an alcoholic beverage, da'len. He may not live in the underground caverns of the Frostback Mountains as his other brethren, however the traits of a typical Dwarf does not seem to stray too far from the rocky cliffs." I giggled once again as I listened to Solas speak. "Do you do that on purpose?" I asked, earning myself a curious glance from the male Elf ahead of me. "I beg your pardon?" Was his answer, causing me to laugh once more. "Hehe your poetic words. It's like you speak from a detailed novel or something. What are you, a scholar? Hehe." Solas stopped walking and instead turned to face me, his arms crossed over his chest as he watched me silently. "Yes, actually. I am."  
  
My laughter slowed to a stop as I blinked in confused. "Wait, really? But you don't look that old to me." "Are you trying to offend me, da'len? I'm in deed older than you, as you well know." He asked with a sly smirk on his face. _There it is again! He IS doing it on purpose!_ Trying to hide my embarrassment, I turned away slightly and kicked the snow under my shoe gently. I grumbled softly under my breath before I quickly changed the subject. "So I guess I should go find Cassandra or something for training, right?" "Actually, I was thinking it'd be best to train with me. I'm an apostate mage and I'm more than capable to train you in ways of defense and magic." I blinked once at his offer and thought to myself of my options. _Hmm. Come to think of it, he's right. Training with Solas is probably the best solution than training with the soldiers._ Smiling softly, I nodded in approval as I followed Solas to stand in front of a small shack next to the Apothecary.  
  
Training with Solas took much longer than I expected but it was actually kinda fun. We started off with simply feeling mystical energy and forming it as a barrier to protect myself from nearby threats. My barrier didn't protect me too much at first but with Solas' guidance, I was able to resist various attacks of ice shards being sent my way. Then he helped me focus my regeneration with my mana. He told me that a mage's magical source usually comes from within but Circle mages usually rely on lyrium to strengthen their spells. Yet, knowing how skilled he was with the Fade, Solas explained that the Fade itself also provides magical energy for a mage to feast upon, as it were. In fact, if one were to focus on the Fade, a mage could regenerate their mana with ease. Well, with more training of course.  
  
Before I knew it, we ended up skipping lunch and instead continued our training routine until sundown. I hadn't even noticed the chill in the air descend into a lower temperature until I began to shiver and glance at the now darkened sky. "Woah. I didn't know the time had passed so fast." Setting his staff aside, Solas strolled next to me, placing a hand on my shoulder gently as I evaporated my thin barrier. "You did well, da'len. I can see why your Dalish clan sees you worthy of being the First. But how about we stop for the night?" I smiled at the offer and held my own staff to my hip. "Alright. Thank you for your help, Solas." He nodded in approval right as Varric popped up behind us. "I was wondering where you two disappeared to. Seeker has been looking for Smiles, Chuckles. I hate to snatch her away from you, but you know how it is." Solas shook his head before letting me go. I waved to him as Varric lead me away towards the Chantry.  
  
"So, what did Cassandra want from me?" I asked Varric as we walked through town. A few passerby would bow their head respectfully as I passed by, sending me hopeful wishes for the Maker's gaze upon me. Varric, however, waved off my question and asked one of his own. "Never mind that. Tell me why did Solas steal you away like that?" I looked down at the dwarf in confusion. "What are you talking about? He wanted to train me so then I could be prepared for the Hinterlands." Varric looked up at me with a curious look on his face. "That so? Because I clearly remember us discussing you being trained by Cassandra and Cullen. Not Solas. It sounds to me that he stole you away, Smiles." I frowned at Varric lightly. "Does it really matter who trains me? I'm a mage, and he's a mage. Are there any other mages around here to train me, Varric? I don't see how it's a bad thing." Varric held up his hands in gentle defense. "I never said there was anything bad about Solas, kid. All I'm saying is that before you arrived, he was always to himself. Sleeping all day and talking about his adventures in the blasted Fade. But after you slapped him yesterday, I think he's trying to get on your good side. Look, I'm just saying to not to confide in him too much. Chuckles felt deep regret for forcing you to come to Thedas. Just ease up near him, okay? People are scared enough of the guy. I wouldn't want people to say shit about you too." Frowning at his words, I felt no choice but to follow him up the steps to the Chantry. _I had no idea Solas felt that way about what happened yesterday. But maybe Varric is right. I should also train with Cullen and Cassandra too._ Shaking the thoughts from my mind, I tried to focus on the most important detail I must face: I have to travel to the Hinterlands tomorrow. I sure hope I can do this..

 

 


	5. Hunting in the Hinterlands

 

"Are you sure about this? You don't need to force yourself to journey ahead if you don't feel it necessary, Herald." Cassandra asked me with a worried look on her face as we discussed around the war table. Last night I sat in my bed thinking of everything I was brought here to do. It may be too much for me to take in, but every minute I waste by cowering in fear isn't going to stop the Breach from growing. I _have_ to move on. Nodding with a determined look of understanding on my tattooed face somehow brought a slightly reassuring grin to the female Seeker as we both glanced toward Leliana. "We are pleased to see your confidence renewed, Herald. In that case, allow me to review our current concerns." Cassandra and I joined our attention with Cullen, Leliana and Josephine to focus upon the map of Thedas which rested upon the war table in front of us.  
  
"As you remember, the Chantry is not accepting the idea of the Inquisition to attempt sealing the Breach once and for all. Instead, they lay claim that you, Herald, are the sole reason why the Breach was created in the first place." Leliana began, followed by Cassandra to continue in explanation. "No doubt all of these claims are supported by the Chantry's Chancelor Roderick. He even demands for you to be sent to Val Royeaux to face execution. We have ignored his demands, of course." Cullen shook his head once, "An act of which he greatly despises. However, keeping you alive is obviously a higher priority. You carry the mark to seal the Rifts. You have already been useful for our steps to sealing the Breach. Yet, we need more strength." I nodded, listening intently as Josephine tapped her pen against her board of which she held to gain our attention.  
  
"Thankfully," She began. "We do not need to rely on the Chancelor's demands or lack of approval in order to strengthen our Inquisition. It limits our options. Approaching the mages or Templars for help are currently out of the question." I tilted my head slightly. "Uh, why exactly do we need either if I'm what you need to seal the Breach?" "It is true that with your help, few rifts have become closed and no more demons are appearing from those areas. However, the rift located within the center of the Sacred Temple is far stronger and larger than the minor ones we had faced. It leads directly to the Breach and it may be the one rift to seal the Breach once and for all. However, having you alone would most likely do no harm to the rift. Solas believes a stronger attempt would be most sufficient - provided the mark has more power." Cassandra explained. I nodded, finally filling in the holes in my mind. "Which is why we would need either mages or Templars. Could they really help strengthen my mark?" I asked, looking to Cassandra. She shrugged lightly. "It is what Solas assumes. We have little to go on but for now, we need to focus on Chantry support."  
  
Leliana decided to continue. "There is something you can do. A Chantry Cleric by the name Mother Giselle has asked to speak to you. She is not far, and knows those involved far better than I. Her assistance could be invaluable." This time I turned my attention to the Spymaster. "Why would she help a declared heretic?" Leliana shook her head with a tiny smile on her face. "I understand that she is of a reasonable sort. Perhaps she doesn't agree with her sisters?" Once again, we returned our gaze to the map in front of us. "You will find Mother Giselle in the Hinterlands, near Redcliffe." "It may be wise to also try to expand the Inquisition's influence while you are there. Cassandra has volunteered to help you." Cassandra nodded to Cullen's words. Josephine piped in, turning her vision upon her handheld board. "We need agents to extend our reach beyond this valley, and you're better suited than anyone to recruit them." I nodded, trying to piece together my inner to-do list. _I feel like I should be writing this all down.._ Feeling a gentle sense of pressure on my shoulder, I glanced over to notice Cassandra had placed her hand on my shoulder in a reassuring motion. "In the meantime, let's think of other options. I won't leave all of this to the Herald."  
  
 _I wonder what Solas and Varric are doing right now?_ "Herald? Did you hear us?" "Huh?" I blinked and felt a wave of embarrassment as I overheard Cullen trying to get my attention. "I-I'm sorry, what did you say?" I tilted my head lightly as I truly listened in on the conversation this time. Apart deciding my route to take in the Hinterlands, we also discussed what the advisors planned to do on this end while I'm traveling through the hills. We had received a report from the Teyrn of Highever. Despite my ultimate confusion as to what the heck a friggin 'Teyrn' is, I listened to the advisors explain how the Teyrn had presented his deepest regrets over the news of the missing Divine and wished to hold a vigil in Highever in remembrance for the Divine. He also invited the Inquisition to attend. Leliana felt regret for declining the offer, seeing as how she had too much on her hands as is. However, I believed maybe sending some of Cullen's militia would be sufficient to this Teyrn guy. Apparently the three advisors were in instant approval of the decision.  
  
Added to that one piece of decision making, I also had to help decide who would help informing my clan that I had arrived safely and how the mark on my hand was coping. I asked the advisors if they knew if the clan itself was safe from the demons. Luckily the rift I had arrived in had become weaker, seeing how far it was from the Breach itself. _I'll keep the clan in my prayers. I hope they will be alright._ On that note, our long meeting droned on for probably another hour before I was finally allowed to eat some lunch before preparing for the trip to the Hinterlands.  
  
Stretching once after finally breaking free from the Chantry, I yawned a long dreary motion before noticing Varric had strolled over to greet me. "I was wondering when they would set you free. You in the mood for some steamed Nug?" Letting my exhaustion wash off of my shoulders with ease, I blink in confusion at Varric's offer. "What's a Nug?" I wish I hadn't asked. Apparently a Nug is a butt naked rabbit looking pig creature. They are cute, adorable and...edible?! Laughing at the disgusted look on my face, Varric patted my back in a humorous motion. "Haha! Oh you should see your face. I thought you've had Nug with the Dalish. Do they not have Nug out there in the sticks?" I shook my head and gulped, feeling depressed after watching a couple of people tearing their teeth through the smoked meat of the pink deceased creature. "Ugh no. I like meat and all but that's just sad. It's just a little rabbit and you expect me to eat it?" I groaned as Solas joined our conversation from behind me.  
  
"You don't have to eat it, if you don't wish to, da'len. If you'd prefer, you could eat with me by the lake. I have some extra fruit from this morning." He offered with a gentle smile. It was a kind offer, but I suddenly remembered what Varric told me last night. I smiled softly but shook my head reluctantly. "Thank you for the offer, Solas. But I think maybe I'll take Varric on his offer. Besides, I wanted to speak with him about his life before coming to Haven." For a split second, I caught a glimpse of a frown on Solas before his lips turned into a typical gentle grin followed by a nod. "I understand. Don't get lost in his tall tales too much, da'len. He is known for his over exaggerated words." Varric chuckled loudly at Solas' comment. "I could say the same for you, Chuckles. Come on then, 'Herald'. We can join up with him later. Let's eat."  
  
Time passed as I listened to Varric tell me about his life. Apparently, despite the fact that he's a Dwarf from Orzammar, he wasn't exactly born or raised there. Varric actually is from a place in the Free Marches called Kirkwall. In a shortened point of view of his tale, he told me a bit of how he met the Champion of Kirkwall, Hawke. From the sound of it, this Hawke guy is quite helpful. "So if Cassandra came to you to talk about Hawke, why isn't he here? I thought you said she wanted him to be here." I asked, setting my cup of warm tea down on the table as I finished listening to Varric's story. The storytelling dwarf, however, still took a long gulp from his alcoholic mug, setting the heavy glass down gently before answering my question. "Well, for one, you're here. We don't need Hawke to find Justinia if we already have you. But, to answer your question, Hawke has been through enough already. The Seeker should quit pushing my buttons about him and focus on what really matters." I frowned a bit before speaking once more. "Do you hate Cassandra, Varric?" He raised an eyebrow, most likely curious about the question. "Me? Hate Cassandra? No, Smiles. I don't hate her. She and I get on each other's nerves, but I also get on Chuckles nerves too. It's in my job description." I knew he was joking but somehow I sensed something sad about the topic.  
  
After lunch, Varric led me to my room and left me alone to gather some of my belongings for the journey ahead. I grabbed a few sets of clothing, wrapped a handful of arrows and strapped them into their holster. Then I began to leaf through a basket of herbs someone had sent to me this morning. _I forget. Is it Elfroot that is most useful for wounds or is it Spindleweed?_ Seemingly lost in my thoughts, I barely noticed the gentle set of knocks at my door before I heard Solas' voice from the door behind me. "Would you like some help, da'len?" I jumped a bit, startled, but still turned to meet my gaze with his. "Yeesh! You scared me, Solas." He stepped inside my room with a humorous chuckle in his voice. "Ah, mir abelas, da'len. I had no intention to scare you. I saw Varric leaving your room and thought you may have needed help to prepare for the trip." I noticed he was looking at the handful of Spindleweed in my hand. "I assume my curiosity was correct. May I help?" I blinked once before nodding. "Uh sure. Though, I think I'm almost done. I'm just trying to figure out which herbs to bring."   
  
Minutes ticked away as Solas helped me sift through the basket full of herbs. In all honesty, he convinced me only to take a few Elfroot. Apparently the Hinterlands are littered with herbs everywhere, so there is no doubt we'll ever run out of healing supplies. "Are you scared?" Solas asked me after I stuffed the herbs into my bag. I sat up on my bed to look up at the bald elf. He looked at me with concern on his face, but also a sad glint in his eyes. What is that for? I tilted my head slightly, pondering to myself before answering. "I guess a little. I'm not use to the wilderness. I live in the city, back on Earth...." I felt a known frown grace my features once again before I finally spoke. "Solas.. Will I ever return to Earth after I find the Divine?" The sad look in Solas' eyes hardened, giving me a definite answer even without his words. "I.. do not know, da'len. I, as well as everyone else here, will do all we can to help you. But at the moment, we must focus on sealing that Breach. Then we can figure out how to find the Divine." He hesitated before sliding next to me on the bed and looking at me with a warm, friendly smile. "We must take cautious steps, da'len. One thing at a time." I sighed lightly, looking to the ground. "Good things come with patience, huh?" He chuckled lightly, nodding. "Exactly. Did your clan tell you that?" I shook my head, glancing up at him with a tiny smile. "No. I learned that from Earth. We have many sayings, but actually abiding by those saying is the tough part. On my planet, people don't want to change, no matter how or if they try."  
  
Unfortunately, our little conversation had to quickly end as Cassandra knocked on my door next. "Herald, are you ready? We should set out now before the weather turns sour again." I nodded, lifting myself up from the bed. Cassandra, however, didn't seem to realize until she spotted Solas that we both were sitting on the bed. "Herald.. what..exactly were you doing with Solas?" "Is there something wrong with her talking to me, Seeker?" Solas asked, clearly insulted by the sound of his voice. Cassandra crossed her arms, glaring at the male elf. "Oh no of course not. Though, you _were_ awfully close to her. Why were you sitting on the bed with her?" This time it was Solas' turn to cross his arms as he stood up from the bed. "I was having a conversation with your 'Herald', Seeker. That is until you interrupted us. Am I to be denied speaking to a fellow elf or are you ready to summon a league of Templars after me now?" _W-woah, what the heck is going on?! We were just talking. But wow.. He gets angry easily, huh? Maybe I should try to stop this before it gets worse._  
  
"Uhh guys?" I tried, but failed to gain either of their attention. Somehow their little spat went from barking at each other over why Solas was in my room then jumped to open threats of sending Solas to a Circle. "Choose your words wisely, apostate. I can easily have Cullen send in Templars to make sure you go to a Circle." Cassandra spat as she placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. _Uh oh._ "Quick to the threats, Seeker? Have you forgotten already how much you need me? Who will keep the mark on Lavellan's hand from spreading? You? I don't see any other skilled mage who could protect her." Solas retorted back, fists clenched at his side as he shared a glaring contest with Cassandra. _Okay, that's it._ "Enough already!" I shouted at them both.  
  
Although, it looked like I wasn't the only one who wanted this inside battle to cease. The moment I had shouted at my two companions, instantly a sharp arrow flew in between the three of us, planting the thin weapon straight into the wooden planks of the wall. The three of us all glanced to the source of the arrow, to the door. Varric stood, holding his crossbow, Bianca, in a fighting stance and a look of disapproval plain on his face and his shook his head from side to side. "Tsk tsk. Perhaps I should add 'babysitter' to my job description next time?" Cassandra grunted as she took a step away from Solas. "Varric. What are you doing here?" She asked with a gruntled voice. Varric disengaged his crossbow, setting her(?) aside before answering the female Seeker. "Leliana wanted me to get everyone together. Her scouts are ready and sending her messenger birds out." He stopped and looked from the two feuding adults then to me with a frown. With a deep sigh, he continued. "What am I going to do with you two? Fighting over a girl? Really?" Then he waved his hand my way, motioning for me to follow him. "Come on, Smiles. Let these two duke it out. Ruffles wanted to speak with you before we go." "Ruffles?" I blinked, obviously confused, but it didn't matter to Varric seeing as how he strolled over and grabbed my hand, pulling me along behind him.  
  
"Was that really a good idea? Are they really going to fight like that? Shouldn't we stop them?" I asked question after question. Somehow, I really get the feeling that I should have stopped all of this. Although, Varric wouldn't allow me to turn back. "Best to leave them be, Smiles. I don't know why they tend to fight like that, but they'll get over it soon enough." I frowned, walking behind the rouge dwarf as we slowly made our way towards the gates leading out of Haven. "I don't get it. Solas was only helping me chose what herbs to take with us on the trip. Cassandra saw him sitting next to me on my bed. He wasn't doing anything to me, if that's what she thought." At my comment, a snickering laugh escaped Varric's mouth. "Pfft hahaha! _That_ is what they are fighting over?! Hahaha! Oh man, I should write that one down." I groaned at his excitement, earning myself even more laughter from my dwarven friend. Once his fits of giggles subsided, Varric strolled next to me, patting my back gently. "Hah, yeah don't worry about those two then. Seeker was only being careful for you. Nightingale received reports earlier that despite people calling you the Herald of Andraste and putting so much faith in your hands, there are people on the opposite end who wish you dead."  
  
"W-What?!" I instantly stopped walking, staring at my dwarven friend in complete shock. "But why? I didn't do anything wrong! I've been helping, haven't I?" Varric stopped walking to turn towards me with a shrug of his shoulders. "It's simple, really. People are scared. There will be those who believe in you and those who want to believe in you, but are too afraid of what might or might not come." "And they think killing me is going to solve anything?" I gulped at the sudden thought. Once again, Varric shook his head while sighing. "It's a cruel world alright. You just arrived here and already you're being picked on." I couldn't help but glare at him with a disapproving frown. "I'm sorry Varric, but 'being picked on' is nothing compared to literal death threats!" In his defense, he held up his hands in front of him. "I get it, Smiles. Really, I do. But you see now why the Seeker and Chuckles are fighting over you, right?" I blinked once again before I began to realize the importance of the situation. "O-oh. That's why? Maybe I should thank her then." Finally drooping his hands back to his side, Varric grinned at me simply. "Perhaps later, Smiles. Let's help the scouts prepared for the trip."  
  
Together with Varric's help, I was able to set up the carriage that we are planning to take to the Hinterlands. Not only do we have enough herbs, but we have bags of food, closed pails of water, various tents and a handful of weapons and shields. Although, I doubt the extra weapons and shields were for me. Most likely for the scouts themselves. Soon enough, Cassandra and Solas both joined to help prepare. Solas was quiet most of the time, however. _What did Cassandra say to him? He has such a sullen look on his face._ "I think we are ready for departure, Herald. Are you prepared for the journey?" Cassandra asked after stuffing a bedroll into a bag. Reluctantly, I nodded my head, trying not to look at Solas again. _I'll ask about it later, I guess._  
  
It had taken us a whole day to reach the Hinterlands from Haven. Once we had to pull over from the road to wait for a herd of cattle to cross the road. However, the moment we arrived to the green hills of the Hinterlands, we could instantly hear loud sounds of battle erupting from every direction. _Just how many people are fighting? I thought we were just sent out here to speak with someone._ Most likely sensing the confusion on my face, Cassandra tapped my shoulder gently as our carriage stopped and the scouts jumped out of the vehicle to set up camp. "We had one of Leliana's leading scouts make way here a day before us to gather intel on the situation. Her name is Harding, a dwarf. How about you go see what she has to say about what we are to come across while we help set up camp?" I blinked and tilted my head at the female Seeker. "You sure? I don't mind helping." She shook her head once. "I am sure. We have more than enough hands to set up camp before the sun rises higher in the sky. It's best for us to find out what is out there before we commence with our mission. Also, you will be the one to lead us on this mission." Once again, I was dumbfounded. "Me? But why?" Cassandra smiled at my confusion. "You are the Herald, whether you believe it or not. There are villagers who will feel more at ease in your presence. Besides, you were the one Mother Giselle has wished to speak to." With a gentle frown, I slowly nodded.  
  
"Welcome to the Hinterlands, Herald. I hope your journey wasn't too difficult?" A young female dwarf asked once she had noticed me approaching her. I was watching her from a distance at first. She was firing an arrow at some crazy man who was getting ready to attack a civilian with his staff. She looked so focused and determined to protect the innocents. _I hope I can feel that determined when I fight._ Gulping my inner thoughts away, I echoed the friendly smile the young dwarf presented to me with one of my own. "A-ah um thank you. It wasn't difficult at all. A few cattle here and there got in the way but with a little patience, we were able to make it safely. You're Scout Harding, I presume?" I tried to sound official, but after being called 'the Herald' after the fiftieth time today, I think I'm going to go deaf. _I do have a name. Can't people just use my name before declaring me some higher lifeform sent by God?_ I wanted to complain openly, but I held it back.  
  
Nodding with a gentle smile, Harding pointed down the alley of which she had fired her arrows. "If you take this path to the East, you will find Mother Giselle tending to the wounded. However, the civil war between Templars and Mages has begun to escalate. If we could find either party's base, it'd be possible to prevent more bloodshed by taking out their leaders. Respectfully." I fought the urge to frown at the option, but kept my firm smile on my face as I nodded for her to continue. "Apparently, there is also some kind of cult addressed to you, Herald." At this, I couldn't resist the confusion on my face. "Me? I don't understand. I thought people wanted to kill me." The young scout shrugged her shoulders lightly. "There are. But there are also people who fantasies your abilities. In fact, we heard rumor they wish for you to grace them with your presence. If you're interested, the cult is supposedly seen in the south, alongside the mountain path." I gulped a bit before asking, "Anything else?" She nodded once again. "Yes. Get use to having that mark on your hand. Because the Hinterlands are littered with rifts in every direction. And some are getting stronger. Add to that, some of the wildlife are acting more savage than necessary. The horse master, Dennet, has asked to see you as well. He wanted to be here to greet you, Herald, but unfortunately the civil war has reached his farms and are threatening the lives of him and his family."  
  
"Master Dennet? Wait, I remember Cullen saying something about a horse master. The Inquisition needed horses, right?" I asked, earning myself a proud grin from the female dwarf. "That's right. You'd like him, Herald. He's a nice man with lots of horses." I smiled at the childish grin on her face. "Sounds like you know him well." She nodded at my observation. "I do know him. I was born and raised here, so I know the locale well. Anyway, I believe that's pretty much it for intel, m'lady. I wish you luck ahead. You're going to need it."  
  
Minutes passed and I approached Cassandra once again. I explained to her our brand new to-do list in a nutshell. She seemed thrilled to hear me explain such a thing. Probably because I too was interested in exploring the area. And in all honesty, I really am excited. After living in the city for so long, it's been _years_ since I ever explored the wilderness, or even camped for that matter. So doing all of this, with friends at my side. It's a pleasant feeling for me. "I'm glad you approve of this mission, Herald. We had just finished setting up camp and we have plenty of scouts surrounding the area to protect the camp from intruders. Are you ready to go, then?" I nodded after inhaling a deep breath. "Good. Varric and Solas are already waiting at the entrance to the path." _Oh, that's right! I almost forgot!_ "I've been meaning to thank you for earlier, Cassandra." Completely stunned at the sudden thankful nature in my tone, Cassandra looked at me with a look that I honestly wanted to laugh at, but prevented myself from doing such a thing. "I beg your pardon, Herald?" She asked. I smiled peacefully. "Varric told me that you have been concerned for my life because of people who want me dead. I'm thankful for your protection. But I trust Solas. He's my friend, as are you. I know I can't keep you from judging him, but I highly doubt Solas would be interested in killing me. After everything he's done for the Inquisition, why would he want to kill me?"   
  
Having a small look of confusion on her face, Cassandra soon enough came to realize the subject of our conversation. "Oh. I see. That is what Varric told you, did he? Well, yes, I am concerned for your health and I will do all I can to prevent anyone from killing you. As for Solas... We don't know who he is, Herald. That is why I have so much doubt about the apostate. I do trust his skills and understanding of the Fade, however. Yet, we have no idea what his motives are. We don't even know where he came from." She sighed once before stepping closer to me, lowering her voice to a minimum. "I didn't want to make you worry, Herald. But when the mages and Templars were all gathered to join the Divine's Conclave..he wasn't present. Then the explosion happened and he suddenly appeared, volunteering to help with the Breach. Something about all of this is just...too much of a coincidence. Do you not see the reasoning of my concern for you?" I looked to the ground, listening intently to this information.  
  
 _Solas wasn't at the Conclave, yet he volunteered to help with the Breach the moment the explosion hits? That...doesn't make sense._ "He's an apostate, though, right? Maybe the reason why he wasn't there is because he wanted to resist being taken in by the Chantry?" Frowning at my words, Cassandra slowly nodded in agreement. "That's what he said. But that alone isn't the only odd thing about him..." I wanted to urge her to continue but she waved her hand and backed away from me. "Let us continue this at another time. We have to meet with Mother Giselle before more enemies attack. Let's go." Feeling disappointed at how our conversation ended, I had no choice but to follow her to meet up with the boys.  
  
Traversing through the Hinterlands was more difficult than I thought. Despite fighting against the fauna looming around in the hills, I had no choice but to face against various madmen. Neither Templar nor Mage wanted to listen to reason. The moment we came across our first feud with the civil war, a moment of forgetfulness washed over me. For just an instant I had forgotten all of that training I did with Solas yesterday. All I could think about was how much would it hurt if I were stabbed by a Templar's sword, or does magical ice shards truly aim to kill? Luckily, my companions were to my aid immediately the moment I lost focus.   
  
Varric was the first to prevent a Templar from raising his sword against me. With a simple aim of Bianca and a snarky comment from the storytelling dwarf, Varric shot at the Templar's legs, causing the man to fall backward and knocking into another Templar who was aiming for a rouge mage. Cassandra was next to begin fighting. With her shield raised and her sword pointed toward her designated enemy, she began to spar like a beast. She knew how to defend and deflect with ease and out of the corner of my eye, I was envious of her skills. _I should really consider learning how to fight from her or Cullen next time._ "Da'len, to your right!" Solas' voice woke me up from my daze, causing me to jump away from a blast of fire flying straight for me. With a glowering growl in his step, Solas aimed his staff toward the mage who wished to attack me and reflected a wall of ice at the enemy. With the shield of ice made as a physical barrier, Solas quickly ran to my aid. "Da'len, are you alright?" He asked with a worried expression on his face.   
  
I gulped lightly as I struggled to keep a firm hold on my staff. Nevertheless, I nodded to my companion and pulled my weapon closer to my body. "Y-yeah. Sorry." In an instant, Solas' worried look turned to one of a scolding adult. "Why aren't you attacking? The enemy is going to kill you, da'len. You must fight!" I squinted in fear at the anger in his voice and avoided his gaze. _Why is he so angry at me? I'm going to fight! I just...ugh. Forget it!_ With a deep intake of breath, I pointed my staff toward the mage and blasted him with a volley of lightning bolts, creating a simple chain from the mage and the two Templars. With a quick, painful glance to Solas, I reverted my attention back to the fight and ran to stand behind Varric, away from Solas, to continue the battle. Unbeknownst to me, of course, I missed the chance to see the look of regret on Solas' face after I had a split glance at him.  
  
Once the battle had reached an end, two or three more followed instantly. My mana would deplete easily, but I paid no mind to it. The adrenaline rush that flown through my body gave me the stamina I needed to fight on. Time blew away in an instant as our enemies laid upon the mudded ground. Dead. My eyes wanted to tear up and I felt my arms tingle within my muscles. I wanted to cry. _I have no right to take their lives like this... Oh God... God, Mythal, whoever... I don't know if anyone is listening but... I do pray for forgiveness. I didn't want this... I have no love for killing.._ Seeing as how our battles had ended, Inquisition scouts came running down from our camp, sent to provide more aid to the villagers.  
  
"Herald." A male elf clad in scout armor came rushing to my side. "Thank you for pushing away the threat. Mother Giselle should be nearby, tending to the wounded. Leliana has just sent word for our scouts to provide aid to the villagers, now that the immediate threat has subsided. However, their leaders are still out there." I nodded to the male elf. "I see. Thank you for your report." I said with a smile. Once the scout had left my side, Cassandra walked up beside me. "Come on. Let's find Mother Giselle. With her help, we may gain the Chantry's support for the Inquisition."  
  
It didn't take us long to find Mother Giselle. As the elven scout had said, she was indeed tending to the wounded. A man was trying to prevent her from allowing a mage to heal him, thinking the mage was another enemy to avoid. However she somehow convinced him and within minutes, the young mage had began to heal the male warrior. Standing up from nursing the man, the dark skinned woman slowly made her way to my side. _Man, what the heck it with that outfit? THIS is what nuns wear on Thedas? That's so weird!_ Keeping my rude thoughts to myself, the moment the older woman approached me, I instinctively put a warm smile on my face. "Mother Giselle, I presume?" She nodded, a sad but gentle smile gracing her older features. "I am. And you are the Herald of Andraste." Reluctantly, I shrugged in a simple manner. "That's what they say, anyway. Um you wanted to speak with me, Mother?" With a soft chuckle, the older woman had strolled with me down a set of steps, leading to another hill.  
  
"I have heard of your troublesome situation from Sister Leliana. I also know of how the Chantry feels about your Inquisition." Mother Giselle began. I nodded with understanding. "Yes, though I must say, I'm a little stunned to hear that you are against what the other members of the Chantry say." With a soft chuckle, she responded. "I may not agree with the other sisters and brothers of the Chantry, though I do understand their reasoning behind their doubts. You, too, have doubts as the Herald, do you not?" I frowned lightly. "I'm sorry but is that the reason why I've been summoned by you? To discuss whether or not I'm the Herald?" Mother Giselle shook her head. "You may think so, but my intentions are pure. No matter the doubts, your Inquisition needs the Chantry's support in order to receive proper aid from others as well as nobility support. I wish to help you and your Inquisition. In fact, I have a proposition: Convince the Chantry members in Val Royeaux you _are_ the Herald of Andraste."  
  
Blinking away another sense of self doubt, I stared at her, stunned. "Wait, you mean _lie_ to them? Is that really wise?" She nodded once. "I know it may seem wrong, but in these desperate times, you need all the help you can get. Also, I have received information from a couple of Sisters that there is a gathering being held in Val Royeaux soon. If you are willing to convince the Chantry members there, you should probably leave soon. I know not as to why they are gathering, but rumor has it, it involves you, Herald." My frown hardened. "What else is new..?" I sighed once before speaking again. "I'll do what I can, Mother. Thank you for your support. Are you going to stay here and continue helping those in need?" With a gentle grin, she shook her head. "I have faith in your Inquisition scouts. I will head to Haven and help from the Chantry there. Sister Leliana will be waiting, I'm sure. Until next we meet, Herald. May the Maker turn His gaze upon you."   
  
Once our conversation had ended, Mother Giselle paid her respects and left soon enough. "I take it the talk went well, Herald?" Cassandra asked, walking up from the steps along with Varric and Solas. "I don't think the look on her face says she is thrilled by what the Mother had to say, Seeker." Varric spoke with a chuckle. I must have looked sour in the face for him to mention that. With a sigh, I looked over at my companions. "She said that the Chantry in Val Roy-something were holding a gathering and apparently it's directed at me.." Of course I didn't sound thrilled by the information. For all I know, this could be another group of people who just wanna kill me. "Should we trust her information?" Solas asked from behind me. Cassandra frowned but kept firm in her tracks. "I know Mother Giselle. She would not hand over this information with a deadly intent. I trust her. But, considering that this gathering is suspicious, it would be a good idea to remain vigilant." She then looked to me. "We should strengthen our defenses since we are here. Our scouts will let us know when a carriage is ready to take us across the boarder from Haven. In the meantime, we should speak to Corporal Vale. He is a warrior under Cullen's orders. He may provide us with helpful information of what is needed of our help."  
  
Speaking to Corporal Vale went faster than I thought. He presented us many directions to take place. Before I knew it, most of the day had gone by after all of the errands we had done. Apart from traveling up North to find the much needed horse master, Dennet, we had a full list of chores to maintain in this hill-infested land. First we had to hunt some ram that strolled nearby for hungry villagers, along with a pack of crazed wolves. The wolves, sadly, were being possessed by a creepy bony demon Solas called a 'wraith'. _And here I thought wraiths were a myth. I swear, the longer I stay on Thedas, the more stupid I feel about what I know._ I wished I hadn't killed the wolves. I often wondered if just killing the demon would have saved the wildlife, but Solas informed me that those creatures would have killed us no matter what. It was a depressing thought, but we had no choice.  
  
Before sundown, we completed many other tasks, sometimes earning volunteers for the Inquisition. Once we began seeing stars in the sky, we retraced our steps and headed back to our campsite. Alongside of the scouts' tents, my little group had two tents each. One for the boys and one for the girls, so I was able to share with Cassandra. After we sat around the campfire, eating our beef stew and listening to tales told by Varric, I noticed Solas still hadn't returned from the nearby lake. I looked around, catching a glimpse of Varric laughing at something Cassandra had said, earning himself an embarrassed glare from the female warrior. I figured it was my chance to go find my elven friend.  
  
What is it about listening to the sound of water cascading down a waterfall that is so pleasant? Add to that, I could even see the stars and moon illuminating from the water of the lake, and a silhouette kneeling down by the lake. Solas had his fingertips dancing along the ripples of the water, a lost look upon his face. Slowly, I approached him, careful not to break his concentration. "Solas?" I asked, startling him slightly as he looked up at me from the moon drenched lake. "Da'len. I hadn't expected you to be over here. Was there something you needed?" I shook my head at his question. "No. I was actually wondering if you were alright? You disappeared during supper." He remained silent for a moment, staring at me, before he returned his gaze to the water. "I'm fine, da'len. You should return before Cassandra sends out a search party." _Ohhh. I get it now._  
  
It may seem completely rude of me, but I couldn't help it. I laughed. Solas, however, was not amused by my laughter. "I don't see how what I had just said was humorous, da'len.." My giggle slowed to a stop before I walked over and sat next to him by the lake. "Well, too bad. You're a funny guy, Solas." He raised an eyebrow at my remark, of which I ignored. "I don't think she'll send a search party, you exaggerator. Yeah, she may have been overly protective yesterday, but it's all in the past now. So quit sulking." I said with a gentle smile. Solas simply blinked once before glaring at the reflections in the water. "I'm not sulking, da'len." He muttered. I resisted the urge to laugh once again. "Oh? And here I thought you were older than me. Instead you're acting like a child, pouting by the moonlight. Heh." I smiled innocently as he reverted his glare onto me. "Are you insulting me, _da'len_?" I shrugged. "A little. Is it working?" He squinted his eyes a tad before sighing and avoided looking at me by returning his gaze to the water once again. "No. It's not." _Liar._ I thought with a grin. _I can see that little smile hiding in the corner of your lips. Hehehe._  
  
Sighing peacefully, I looked up at the stars and hummed softly. The song I hummed I didn't know the words to, seeing as how it was an Scottish song and I seriously have no idea how to sing Scottish. But the music was always so beautiful to me. Though after a few notes, I got lost in the gaze of the stars, sighing softly as I stargazed. However, one moment passed before I felt Solas' hand place itself gently upon my own. It was warm, even after tracing the waves of the water. And I could feel his heartbeat through his touch. His heartbeat was steady, with a gentle quickness once he began to speak softly. His voice felt so close to me. _When did he move closer to me?_ "Don't stop.. Sing for me."   
  
My heart skipped a beat at his smooth words. _T-the heck?_ "I-I don't know the words to this song, Solas. It's in a language I don't know." Silence sat between us before I felt his presence draw closer once again. Was he sitting directly behind me? "Then hum it. Please. Your voice, it's...soothing to me. Please, Lethallan?" Gulping lightly as I felt my cheeks burn gently, I couldn't help but try to remember what 'Lethallan' meant. _I'll have to look that up when I get back to Haven._ But, even after listening to him plead, I couldn't help but feel compelled to do what he had asked. He wanted to hear me play my music again, and so I did. Gently, of course. I didn't want anyone else to hear me and become embarrassed over presenting my songs. Besides...It's for Solas.

 

 


	6. From Riches to Rags

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Arriving to Orlais, Lavellan and her gang end up taking the entire day meeting various people. From open threats by the Chantry, to playing scavenger hunt for a 'Red Jenny', Lavellan's mind and worries are swarmed around her as she finds more weight to fill her plate.

 

Our journey through the Hinterlands had to come to a hold as we gathered our things and began making our way to cross over the mountain paths. Within a few days, our carriage was able to cross the border safely into Orlais territory. As we traversed through the wilderness, I had little choice than to study up on learning about our destination: Val Royeaux. From what Cassandra has taught me, Val Royeaux, or basically the entire nation of Orlais, is ruled by Empress Celene. Apparently Orlais is home to the rich and famous, by the sounds of it. It is also widely known for the extravagant use of artwork and fashion, as well as the strength of their defenses, which are led by the Empress' cousin, Duke Gaspard. From what Cassandra has gathered, Duke Gaspard is actually suppose to be the real heir to the throne, rather than his younger cousin. Added to that, Orlaisian's also have a fear of the Qunari, whatever that is, due to a war they had long ago. But above all, this Val Royeaux place seems to be the center piece of pretty much everything. It holds the First Circle of Magi, has a Grand Cathedral, the headquarters for the Seekers of Truth lie there but what is most talked about is the Imperial Palace and the University of Orlais. _Yeesh. There is too much for me to go by. I seriously need to write all of this down when I get free time._  
  
Although, I must admit. Learning about the place is nothing compared to basking in the pure beauty of Val Royeaux. In fact, 'beauty' doesn't even seem like the appropriate word to describe this place. The moment Cassandra, Varric, Solas and I had arrived onto the streets of Val Royeaux, I couldn't help but to stand in awe at the scenery. It was like walking into a painting! The streets were paved with white stone, décor littered everywhere, including the sky. Statues welcomed us as we made our way through the iron gates, each one symbolizing Andraste or Mefarath, her husband. However, the scenery itself isn't the only thing 'artistic' in nature. Every single person we passed by were dressed in the most gaudy outfits I had ever seen. The fabrics were far too poufy for a normal person to stroll around in, their hats were absurdly extravagant with jewelry or feathers. And the masks! MASKS! _Why, in any normal person's eyes, would they even need to wear a mask? And in this heat?!_ I had to resist the urge to stare with my mouth agape at the atrocities of this living painting I stood in. Luckily, my attention had been quickly diverted elsewhere as one of our Inquisition scouts had ran to join us with a worried look upon her face.  
  
"You're one of Leliana's people." Cassandra spoke as the female scout approached us. She seemed a bit out of breath as beads of sweat fell from her forehead. With a nod, the young scout spoke. "Yes, m'lady. I have some news. There is a large gathering in the center of the square, led by the Chantry. From the sounds of it, the Chantry are trying to figure out what to do about the Inquisition. On top of that, they have assembled the Templars here...to _deal_ with the Herald." Uh oh. That can't be good. "To deal with her?" Cassandra asked, stunned by this information. "Sounds like someone isn't thrilled to see her here, Seeker." Varric spoke up, standing closer to me, along with Solas. "This doesn't make any sense. If the Templars are here, Lord Seeker Lucius must be here as well. He is known for guiding the Templars. Perhaps we could speak to him about all of this?" I frowned slightly. "Yeah, but if they were sent here by the Chantry to 'deal' with me, is it really wise to speak to this guy for help?" Cassandra echoed my frown with one of her own as she shook her head. "In all honesty, Herald, I'm not sure. But I trained under him before. We have to at least try." Looking back to the female scout, Cassandra continued. "Go back to Haven and inform the others of our situation. We might be..delayed due to this gathering." The young scout nodded, muttering a quick 'Understood, M'lady.' before jogging towards the exit of town.  
  
Entering into the square, my silent perception I keep having had returned once again. All eyes were on me, and I've noticed once or twice a couple of people running away from me, gasping in fear of the dreaded 'Herald' coming to kill them all with the power of my glowing hand. _Who comes up with this stuff?_ "Hate to break it to ya, Seeker, but I get the feeling everyone knows who is in their presence." Cassandra sighed heavily by Varric's words but continued to lead our way to the large gathering toward the docks. I gulped a large lump in my throat as we approached the Chantry sisters. I could instantly feel the fearful glares burning in my skull. _How humiliating._  
  
"Good people of Andraste!" The leading Sister, a woman probably in her mid-40s, began her gathering with a loud voice. "Listen to me now! I know of the fear you constantly must face. Our Divine Justinia is dead and we know who is to blame. Every day we live in fear of this 'Herald' and the time has come to rid us of our fears once and for all!" Cheers of approval bounced all around from the Orlaisians surrounding me, deepening that sullen feeling in the pit of my stomach. It hurt just listening to these guys prattle on about me like this. But I can't just stand here and do nothing. With a single step, I earned various stares as I began to speak up. "Why don't you focus on what is _really_ important? We have a huge hole in the sky, spawning demons and more. Yet, all you want to complain about is _me?_ I'm not here to die for a little cause. I only want to help seal the Breach and find the missing Divine. She might still be alive!"  
  
With haste, I felt Cassandra at my side, nodding with full agreement. "What she says is true! Our Inquisition only wishes to serve and protect what has been lost from the Conclave. No one truly knows if the Divine is dead. We are doing all that we can to find her safely and to mend the sky before it is too late!" Glaring at us from above, the Chantry Sister took a step back, pointing to her side as a handful of Templars climbed up the steps. "It is already too late.." One by one the Templars approached the Sister, listening as she continued speaking. "Look now, citizens of Val Royeaux! The Templars are finally here to rid us of the- ugh!" Having been struck in the face by a metallic fist of a Templar, the Chantry Sister collapsed to the ground, followed by a few other Chantry sisters who came to her aid.  
  
Cassandra and I glared at the disturbing scene above us. "What is the meaning of this?" I asked the smug Templar who attacked the feuding woman. However, he did not answer, seeing as how another iron clad man approached the Templar instead. He must have been in his late 40s or so. "Lord Seeker Lucius!" Cassandra tried to gain his attention, yet he ignored her by patting the Templar on his shoulder and replying with a creepy smirk. "Do not mind the sister, men. She is beneath us." Satisfied by the male Seeker's words, the Templar nodded and backed down from the stand, followed by Lord Lucius himself.  
  
Once again, Cassandra followed in the man's stride, demanding for answers. "Lord Seeker Lucius, I would like to speak with-." "You will not address me." Was his simple reply as he gathered his Templars together. "Lord Seeker?" Cassandra was most likely baffled by his odd behavior. _I'm guessing he's not as normally so 'kind' as he is today._ I glanced over to Cassandra, worried to see how this confrontation is going to hold up to us now. Sighing deeply with a shake of his head, Lucius turned away from the Templar group to finally gaze to me, for a long time, before glaring at Cassandra. "I am deeply disappointed in you, Pentaghast. Parading around with a false Maker-given blessing? And to give birth to an Inquisition, that of which is not needed against the terrors our world faces. I am deeply disappointed in you." Cassandra, however, would not relent. "I don't understand, Lord Seeker. What is the meaning of all of this? Why attack the Chantry Sister and walk away?"  
  
Lucius simply smirked at her stunned confusion before speaking proudly. "The Sister is a fool. like many I have seen. She wished us to face your supposed Inquisition and Herald of Andraste to cleanse the suffering of our men and women. However, that is not necessary. For I see no true Inquisition nor Herald at all." "Then why _are_ you here?" I asked, earning the gazes to return to me once again. The leading Seeker scoffed a half-chuckle before replying to my question. "To see and laugh. There is nothing here for us. Templars! We leave! Val Royeaux is not worthy of us." He chanted with praise as he and his gathering of Templars walked away towards the gates of Val Royeaux, leaving the citizens in even more fear than they had imagined.  
  
"Well, he didn't seem all that nice." Varric mentioned, popping up from behind me, followed by Solas, still quiet as ever. I felt sorry for Cassandra, though. She must feel so confused about all of this. "I don't understand." She muttered, confirming my thoughts. "Lord Seeker Lucius was always a kind and reasonable man. Something has changed about him. It makes no sense." Sighing deeply, Cassandra looked over to me with an apologetic look on her face. "I am sorry, Herald. I do not understand how our situation came to be like this." I shook my head and smiled at her. "It's alright. But what does this mean, exactly? The Templars were sent here to kill me, but they refused the Chantry and also refuse to speak with us?" She nodded, listening with a depressed frown on her face. "That's what is sounds like." I tilted my head and blinked for a moment. "So what now? We came here to speak with the Chantry to gain their aid. How can we even try speaking to them if they only wish for me to be dead?" "Perhaps we should return to Haven. Confer with our advisors about the situation and go from there?" Cassandra mentioned, her gaze glued to the white pavement. _Poor Cassandra. I really wish I knew what to say to her about this. But what would I say? I barely know anything about her, or that Lucius guy. I shouldn't even pry._ "U-uh excuse me?"  
  
Blinking once as I turned my gaze behind me, I noticed a dark-skinned woman, dressed head to toe in the lavish artistic dress fashion Val Royeaux has to offer. The woman nodded her head towards my group and we carefully strolled up to her fruit stand. From the looks of it, the woman must be a merchant. "Forgive me for interrupting your discussion, but is what you have said is true? Do you really intend to fix our sky?" The woman asked, holding a delicately gloved hand over her chest. I glanced over to Cassandra once before looking back to the woman with a nod. "That is what we are attempting." A rush of a relieving sigh flew from the woman before she spoke. "Ah, I knew it! Thank the Maker. It's so hard to truly believe in people these days. Everything is full of empty promises. No one is _doing_ anything!" I smiled softly at the woman. _It's nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks this way._ "I was wondering if your Inquisition would like help? Your soldiers would need food, correct? There is not much I can do, but I have plenty of food to spare." I was shocked by the woman's offer, but I still glanced over to Cassandra for advice. "Uh well, what do you think, Cassandra?" My Seeker rose an eyebrow at my words but still responded. "I believe she is asking _you_ , not me." The woman nodded once, "Well, she _is-"_ "The Herald of Andraste. Yes, I know." Cassandra interrupted before looking back at me. "It is ultimately your decision, Lavellan. I do agree, however, with her offer. Having more food will increase stamina and motivation for our troops." I smiled warmly at the woman as I spoke. "Then we welcome you to join the Inquistion, my lady. You should go to Haven. Our soldiers will need your help." The frilly woman beamed happily at me as she bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Herald. My name is Belle. I am proud to be walking in your shadow."  
  
"Huh. This is getting weirdly comfortable now." I mumbled as my group and I left Belle's stand and began walking towards the exit. Varric strolled up beside me, catching on to my mumbling words. "What's eatin' you, Smiles?" I shrugged lightly. "Uh well, it's what Belle had said. I've never had anyone be so excited to be in my presence, let alone in my 'shadow'. I'm not saying I'm glad to be seen as someone's 'Herald' but maybe it's just nice to being noticed for good reasons finally. I-I mean...well when I first arrived to Thedas, I kept hearing threats and people wanting to kill me from every angle for things I never did. I'm just saying it's really comforting to know that there finally _is_ someone who can see the truth of my ways, you know? W-why are you guys staring at me like that?" I became flustered instantly as I noticed everyone had stopped walking to grin widely at me with the creepiest smiles on their faces. "S-stop looking at me like that!" I stammered, glancing away forcefully from my gleaming friends. Varric and Solas laughed softly at my reaction as Cassandra took a step closer to me, patting my shoulder gently with reassurance. "Forgive us, Hera-... Lavellan. We are only proud of your innocence. It is a comfort to seeing you smile like this for us." I groaned uncomfortably as I kicked a pebble away from my shoe in an embarrassed movement. _Great. Now I feel like an embarrassed child just for expressing myself. It's high school all over again!_  
  
My friend's laughter echoed between us as we passed by a few other merchant stands before a long arrow came flying from out of no where, piercing the white pavement in front of my feet. I gasped loudly, falling backward with a startle as I felt Solas grabbing me from behind, keeping me from harming myself. "What is that? An arrow?" Cassandra scanned the area, her hand on the hilt of her sword as she glanced around protectively. Varric, too, strummed his fingers over Bianca's trigger as he gazed up toward the balconies above us. "If someone sent an arrow at us, it most likely came from somewhere up there." He paused, squinting his eyes as the sun's glare flashed over us, preventing any of us to see who, if there was anyone, was up there. "Though it may be wise to keep our guard up, the supposed 'attacker' did not aim for our Lavellan." Solas mentioned, looking at the arrow in front of me while still helping me back to my feet. He continued, "Look. There seems to be a red letter attached to the arrow. A message, perhaps?" We all stood silently before I tapped Solas' hand gently to reassure him that I was fine. Then, I bent down to the arrow, ripping it from the pavement and removing the red sheet of paper.

Just as Solas had said, the letter was definitely a message. However, the person who sent this message wrote in a large flowing hand and bordered the letter with doodles. At the bottom of the letter, a poor drawing of the locations in the market shown where to find these 'red things'. _Who wrote this? A five year old?_ Quietly, I brought the letter over to my friends, reading the contents softly aloud:

People say you're special. I want to help, and I can bring everyone.

There's a baddie in Val Royeaux. I hear he wants to hurt you. Have a search for the red things in the market, the docks, and 'round the cafe, and maybe you'll meet him first. Bring swords.

Friends of Red Jenny  
  
"What's the Friends of Red Jenny?" I asked, looking over to Cassandra and Varric. "I honestly do not know, Herald." Cassandra replied, shaking her head. "I might have an idea." Varric mentioned with a shrug. "There have been rumors of a group called the Friends of Red Jenny when I was still in Kirkwall. From the sound of it, they are freedom fighters. Though, they are very secluded and well hidden. Some in Kirkwall thought it was a carta, though there is no proof, seeing as how no one has actually seen this 'Red Jenny'. But, it looks like someone wants to help. Maybe we should look into it?" I blinked and nodded, glancing at the crude map given on this message. _Okay.. So looks like we're going on a little scavenger hunt. The market, docks and cafe', huh? Hmm._  
  
And so began our scavenger hunt. Since it was close to our current position, we decided to check out the cafe' first. Instantly, the smell of exotic teas and cakes filled the air, causing my stomach to growl loudly. I looked to the ground in embarrassment, groaning sadly as I missed the one thing I loved about my planet the most: Chocolate. _I wonder if Thedas even has chocolate? Man, that'd be perfect!_ Quickly shaking off my hunger, I poked around a statue, looking high and low for little red details. From a tap on my shoulder, Varric pointed across from me, straight to a leg of a table. Sitting at the bottom was a red handkerchief. I apologized to a few patrons in the café as I shimmied between the tables to grab the red item. Reading the note attached, I noticed a hint to a new location. It seems like once I gather the next two, a full image will reveal our final destination.  
  
Onto our next hunt, we scoured around the Chantry folk to make our way to the docks. The smell of sea and fish danced around us as we looked through boxes and fishing nets. Luckily, within no time we found the next red handkerchief. Once again, a new piece of our puzzle was added to our attention before we stepped back to the square. _Hmm. It seems I'm still getting the evil eye from the town folk. Even the guards are scowling at me. Am I really seen as intimidating?_ Looking around, it seemed that our last clue was on one of the balconies. However, the closest stairways were closed off from us, seeing as how the guards did not trust me or my friends. We had no choice but to walk to the farther side of the square to find an available staircase. "Pardon me, my lady. But are you the Herald of the Inquisition? I have a letter for you." A man stepped up to us, gaining our attention instantly.  
  
_Another letter? Could this be from the Red Jenny person?_ Hesitantly, I accepted the letter from the man, reading it quietly to myself before showing it to my friends:  
  
You are cordially invited to attend my salon held at the Chateau of Duke Bastien de Ghislain.  
  
Yours,  
Vivienne de Fer  
First Enchanter of Montsimmared  
Enchanter to the Imperial Court  
  
With a tilt of my head and an obvious look of confusion plain on my face, I couldn't help but ask. "Oooookay. I have many questions.." I stumbled, trying to figure out what to ask first. With a gentle chuckle, Solas slipped the letter from my fingers, reading the contents quietly to himself before smirking proudly with another soft chuckle. "Ah, da len. You humor me. Allow me to help. I assume your confusion is set on what an Enchanter of the Imperial Court may be, correct? An Enchanter by itself, basically, is an instructor or teacher of magical arts. The Enchanter teaches spells, both protective and offensive, to their students, mages new to the world, all within the Circle. The fact that she is not only an Enchanter to the Circle of Montsimmared but also of the Imperial Court must show how important you are to her. You have caught her attention, da len. You should feel honored to be respectfully invited to speak with such a woman." I nodded slowly as I took in this information. "Okay, that's all well and good but what's a 'salon' at this Chateau place?" Cassandra was the next to answer my silly questions. "A salon is typically a gathering or party of high social status. I have heard of this First Enchanter. Lady Vivienne is strong and widely known and feared. Not only for her skills as a mage but for her place within the Court. Solas is right, however. The fact you gained her attention is extremely positive. Perhaps our chances of gaining help from mages will actually have some value, despite our efforts with the Templars."  
  
Pondering to myself, I fold up the invitation carefully, stowing the letter into my coat pocket before smiling at the messenger and nodding gently. "Thank you for the message, sir. I will be honored to attend this meeting." The male messenger reflected my smiling nod with one of his own before he made his way toward the exit gates. He was most likely heading back to the Chateau. "Well, since this Chateau isn't far either, maybe we should head to this gathering tonight? In the mean time, where's those stairs?" I asked, glancing around curiously. Varric pointed across my way to a decorative blue door. "How about over there?"  
  
Minutes ticked away as we climbed the stairs up to the balcony. It took us probably up to five to ten minutes as we searched for the third clue. Luckily, I finally found the third red handkerchief at the base of a large potted plant. The leaves hid it well, yet I still noticed it within the sunlight. Reading the contents, we finally had a definite location pin pointed for us. A meeting somewhere in the back alleys. Now that we had figured out our next goal, we decided to spend the rest of our free time shopping for new equipment.  
  
Who knew shopping for weapons and armor could be so...boring? Apart from examining each tool in detail and feeling the strength each possessed, our time droned on _forever_ because the Orlaisian seller would not stop talking about...well to be completely honest, I couldn't keep track on what we was talking about. It started off with him asking me high and low questions about my involvement with the Divine to, what I'm guessing, was pastries? I couldn't be sure. He spoke nothing but French to me. One way or another, however, we finally broke free from the ranting man to make our way to this meeting point once night began to fall.  
  
The streets were eerily quiet. A damp cold chill filled the air as we walked through the lone alleys. Soon enough we made it to our destination, but had to quickly hide as we noticed a few people were standing ahead of us, armed with blades and arrows. _I hope coming here wasn't a bad idea._ I looked over to my friends as we hid around the corner. Each of them were holding their individual weapon close to their bodies, ready to attack with a preemptive strike. I took a deep breath and held my staff in front of me, preparing a lightning chain to finally release, surprising each enemy with a shattering bolt one by one.  
  
Our battle wasn't a tough fight at all. I was worried for nothing, it seemed. But still, "Who left these guards here? They aren't guards of Orlais. None of their shields held the Orlaisian emblem." Cassandra spoke, examining one of the enemies silver plated shield. Solas kneeled down to look at the archer of the enemy group. "Hired mercenaries, most likely. None of these people are from Orlais. Fereldan, perhaps. Question is, who hired them and did they know we were coming?" Varric reloaded Bianca with arrows before stepping next to my side. "I don't know about you, Chuckles, but I'm starting to get annoyed with how many people want to harm our little Smiles. The girl has enough to deal with. Don't tell me this 'Red Jenny' was just another attempt at killing her?" Solas frowned at Varric's words, but stood up with a determined stare at us. "If that is so, should we bother interrogating whoever it is who hired these attackers?" Cassandra nodded with agreement, returning to my side as well as Solas. "I agree with Solas. The decision is ultimately yours, Herald."  
  
Only a split moment flew by as I pondered over my options. I wanted to know who this Red Jenny person was and why they were after me like this. With a nod, I walked over to the double doors, and within an instant, I somehow dodged a flaming blast flying straight for me. Once again, another one aimed at me, causing me to jump to the side successfully. "Ha! Inquisition scum! How much did your filthy Inquisition have to pay to find me? It must have been immeasurably so." The attacker, an Orlaisian man dressed head to toe in the frilly poufy weird materials and a mask attached to a super weird hat, spoke with confidence and smug attitude. I stood up straight from my dodge position to glare at the Orlaisian man. "I don't know who you are." He obviously did not believe me as he took a step closer. "Impossible! I'm too important to be ignored. I will have you know that I have served for Empress Celene's court for years! I have more importance than you and your preposterous Inquisition!"  
  
My annoyance with this 'important' man grew with each word he spoke. However, I couldn't find the time to retort back seeing as how an arrow slams straight into the back of one of his hidden guards. The now deceased man collapsed to the ground, revealing a young elven woman, armed with a fresh arrow pointed through her bowstring aimed directly at the Orlaisian man. "Just say 'what'!" She shouted at the leading enemy, causing him to answer with a belated 'What is the mean-' before she released her arrow straight into the center of his Orlaisian mask, piercing through the intricate designs and freeing itself through the back of his skull.  
  
The dead man joins his deceased guard to the ground right as the elven woman approached his dead carcass, removing her arrow from his face as she spoke to me. "Blah blah blah! Obey me! Arrow in my face!" She laughed once before she cleaned off the tip of the arrow with the bottom of her torn blouse, smiling happily at me. "So, you're the one who glows, right? The Herald of Andraste?" She looked me up and down then her warm smile fell to a frown instantly. "Aaaand you're an Elf. Course you are." She sounded so disappointed. But she was only half right. "uh Actually I turned into an Elf after arriving on Thedas. I'm really a human from another planet, if you'll believe that. It's the truth though." I tried to explain but the elven woman didn't seem too thrilled by my answer. "Hmm that so? Well, let's hope you're not _too_ elfy. By the way, I see you've found my clues." I blinked, thinking for a bit before connecting the dots. "Clues.. Wait, you're Red Jenny?" The elven woman laughed loudly as she shook her head. "No, I'm Sera. And that is cover." She pointed to a stack of boxes. "For the reinforcements. I got tipped by a fellow Red Jenny about this pompous buffoon and his mercs. She also raided their equipment shed for me." Sera grinned wickedly. "They've got no breeches~!" She retorted with snickering joy as a couple of guards with literally no pants came rushing towards us with swords and shields.  
  
With Sera's help, we were able to dispatch the remaining pant-less guards with ease, all the while as Sera's laughter echoed with each arrow she flung at her enemies. "Why didn't you take their weapons?!" I couldn't help to ask as I dodged a sword from swiping at my neck, letting Cassandra enough room to push the embarrassing man back away from me. Sera retorted back, following with another fit of giggles. "Because! _No breeches!_ Kehahaha!" A minute or two later, dead bodies dressed the back alleys of Val Royeaux as I approached Sera once again. She was still laughing as she kicked the shiny butt of one of the deceased men. "Oh man that was a good tip she gave me. No breeches! Haha!" Finally taking a joyous breath of fresh air, Sera's warm smile returned to me once again. "So, Herald of Andraste, eh? I fancy that. I wanna join your Inquisition."  
  
I had no choice but to hold up my hands for a quick second. "Uh wait a moment, please. Can you first explain what is going on here? I thought we were suppose to meet some 'Red Jenny' person." Sera nodded, shrugging lightly with a simple movement before replying. "Red Jenny isn't a person, but I get what you mean. Red Jenny is a group of people, not really gathered together, but we help those in need. See, here is all you important folk, waving your hands around like you own the sky while we little people have to pick up after you." I looked over back to the deceased Orlaisian man then back to her. "But what about him? Did he know you were going to be here too?" Sera shook her head. "Him? I don't know anything about him. I only was told by someone small that the guy was going to try to ambush you and the Inquisition."  
  
Blinking slowly, I came to realize who this girl was. _She's Robin Hood! Holy cow! She's legit fighting for justice for the poor folk versus the rich and famous. Huh, but aren't I considered 'famously important' too?_ Most likely seeing the confusion in my eyes, Sera continued. "Look, your Inquisition needs all the help it can get, right? Having a giant hole in the sky shiteing out baddies from no where isn't helping any of us. And no one is doing anything except blaming each other. The Inquisition are the only ones fighting for those who want to live. So, how about it? Let me join and I will have Red Jenny friends send me tips and tricks to aiding your troops or whatever." She really seemed interested to join and honestly, her skills as an archer was better than the ones I've fought. So, why not? "Alright, Sera. I'm sure we could use your help."  
  
"Ugk! Quit _staring_ at me like that, ya fuckin' shitebag!" "I beg your pardon, but who, exactly, is that insult directed at?" "Pfft. What? Your elf ears actually heard that?" "My elf ears hear many things, Sera. That mocking tone of yours, for example. But really, was the insult necessary?" "It is if you keep fuckin' _staring_ , you creepy Elfy thing you." This confrontation between Sera and Solas kept bouncing between the five of us as we roamed the main streets of Val Royeaux to find the Chateau we, or more specifically I, had been summoned to. It was actually kinda funny listening to Sera gripe about Solas' constant stares at the female elf. _I wonder why she doesn't like Elves? She's one too. Mm maybe I shouldn't question it. Not yet at least. I wouldn't want to turn her against me just because of my curiosity._  
  
Clearing my throat loudly, I felt it necessary to change this silly subject before someone, Sera most likely, starts flipping tables. Gaining my attention, luckily, both elves stop clamoring to turn their gaze my way. "Sorry to interrupt, but which way did you say this Chateau was, Sera?" Sera blinked and looked around, pondering to herself before she pointed in one direction and then the other. "Uh...hm I think it's this way." Cassandra, obviously annoyed by the two's earlier battering, glared at our new recruit with disapproval. "You mean you don't know? You told us you've been there!" Sera shrugged lightly, shaking her head once again. "I did not! I said I've been _near_ there. Though I do know of a servant or two who works in the kitchen there. So, yeah. I know where it is!" This time, Varric was next to speak up. "Is that why you were pointing one way and then the other?" He had a smirk on his face despite his words. He must be enjoying listening to Sera and Solas arguing. Sera, however, simply crossed her arms and pouted. "I only had a moment of confusion because the last I was near there, it was bright out, okay! I'm sure it's over here. Oh! See!? Look!"  
  
Following her pointing hand, we all noticed a lit up building with a gathering of Orlaisians hanging out in the garden of the Chateau, as well as couples entering into the lavish building with prideful grace. "Huh. I guess she was right. Thanks, Sera." I thanked her kindly, earning myself a toothy grin from my new recruit. "Heh. See? The Herald believes me. Maybe next time you guys shouldn't judge me so easily, eh?" I giggled at Sera's comment before I decided to walk towards the crowd. However, a hand on my shoulder quickly stopped me in my tracks. Glancing behind me, I see Cassandra and Solas looking at me with a disapproving frown on their faces. "I know you won't like this, Herald." Cassandra began, "But perhaps it'd be better for the rest of us to stay out here. Considering how the Templars have a distaste for our Inquisition and that we have been attacked once already in this city, it may be wise for us to keep guard outside while you go inside to confer with the First Enchanter." I blinked in confusion, wanting to question why, before Solas added to Cassandra's offer. "Please forgive us, da'len. But what the Seeker has said makes sense. We must protect you at all costs, remember? Besides, the invitation was assigned to _you_ specifically." I tilted my head after listening to Solas. "Yeah, but what if there are assassins in there too?" "I have full confidence in the First Enchanter. She is not one for allowing someone to harm one of her guests. Remember, she is a mage as well. One of high authority. She is to be feared _and_ respected." Cassandra replied, smiling gently my way. I could tell she was trying to reassure me that all will be fine, but I felt a pit in my stomach, worrying me.  
  
_Damn it. I hate it when my icky feelings are always right._ The instant I entered inside the Chateau, I was greeted by a guard, who announced my arrival loudly for all to hear. "Mistress Lavellan of the Inquisition!" He spoke with such a loud voice, I worried that someone was going to kick me out or something. I totally felt like I didn't belong here. Not just because my attire was _definitely_ not like those of the Orlaisians here. But because of my outburst this afternoon in the square. _I hope none of these people were there this afternoon.._  
  
"Ah! The Herald of Andraste!" "Oh, we have heard _so much_ about you!" Two Orlaisians, a man and a woman, both addressed me with odd approval. "You must be here to speak with Madame de Fer. Or are you perhaps to speak with Duke Bastian?" The man asked. I raised an eyebrow at the two people. I didn't know what to say first. _What have they heard about me, exactly? And who is Madame de Fer?_ "Uh, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly have you been told about me? Nothing bad...I hope?" I couldn't help but to ask. The woman giggled preciously before answering. "Oh by the Maker, no! Well, I can't exactly call it bad, per se. It's just that the wild tales of your heroic deeds have spread so far! They say you fell from the Heavens, led by Andraste Herself! It is amazing what we have heard, messere Herald." _Messere?_ "I..I see. Um thank you for telling me, my lady. But, if I may ask, who is this de Fer person? I was invited by someone name Vivienne. She is the First Enchanter, correct?" Standing with utmost respect, the man nodded politely at my question. "Madame de Fer _is_ First Enchanter Vivienne. Madame de Fer is a nickname given to her by the high court." With another giggle, the woman next to him replied. "I hear she finds it amusing." I nodded once, taking in all of this information. "You also mentioned a Duke?" I asked once more. Nodding again, my question was yet again answered by the male. "Duke Bastian, m'lady Herald. This Chateau belongs to him. Although, he is not present at this gathering, unfortunately." Noticing the tilt of confusion on my face, the lady continued for him. "His son is sick, or so we've been told. We haven't seen him around lately. I do hope it is nothing serious." "Oh! I see. I hope for his recovery, then." The two smiled warmly at my concern. "Your words warm our hearts, m'lady Herald. Now then, you must be here to speak with Madame Vivienne, correct? Are you to discuss the Inquisition with her, then?" The male asked. I open my mouth to reply, but quickly get silenced as a new, grumpy, voice appeared from the stairway to our right.  
  
"The Inquisition? Peh! What a load of crap!" A man, also dressed in typical fancy Orlaisian attire, stepped down the stairs with an almost drunken anger, most likely directed at me. _I knew I shouldn't have come in here by myself. I wish Solas or Cassandra could be here with me.._ "Messere Marquis." The man I spoke to a moment ago took a step back, allowing the rude man to step in front of me. "How disgusting! To allow such a preposterous woman into such a respectful place such as this. You are no true Savior or Herald, and we all know it." I frowned at this cruel man. _Is he just drunk or is he really angry at me?_ "It is not my place to convince someone if I really am the Herald of Andraste or not. Everyone has a right to their own opinion, no matter how much disbelief you may have against me, sir." I tried to keep my respectful nature in place, but the more I spoke with this man, the more I wanted to punch him. With a scoff, the threatening man took a step closer to me, speaking with a low breath. "Ha! You admit your false justice. In front of all these people, no less. You _are_ no Herald!" Once again, he stepped up to me. Now my patience was growing thin. "If you truly knew your place, you'd step outside and face the consequences."  
  
I failed to notice the blade he hid behind his back as he prepared to retrieve the blade. However, my worry halted instantly as the threatening man literally froze in place as a dark skinned woman, dressed in the most loveliest outfit I had ever seen, cascade down the steps from the left with grace. "My dear Marquis. What ever am I going to do with you? Picking a fight with _my_ guests." The fancy woman finally joined our gentle feud, causing the threatening man to cower with each word he spoke. "M..Madame Vivienne." She ignored his fear however and instead turned her attention to me. "Please forgive this silly little man for his off putting manners, my Lady Herald. You are the wounded party in this mess. Tell me, what would you have me do with him?" _Is it just me, or did her eyes flash with a certain killer instinct to them? Maybe it's that fancy mask that's just illuminating her eyes?_ It took me a moment to think of what this man had said to me and of my options. It really isn't worthy to kill the man and I really don't want to seem rude at this party. With a respectful nod towards the lady host, I answered, "I thank you for your concern, Madame de Fer, but I am only a simple guest. I feel it only right for _you_ to make the decision of this man's fate." Vivienne smirked proudly at my reply before snapping her fingers quickly, shattering the ice around the man and setting him free. "You should be thankful, Marquis. The lady Herald has proven herself to be of a more respectful creature than most. You should learn from her display. Go now, my dear, and do tell your Aunt I said hello."  
  
We stood together, watching as the Marquis left, or more like ran away, from the Chateau. Once he was out of sight, Lady Vivienne walked over to me and spoke with a pleasant smile on her face. "I am so pleased to have you attend my party. I have so wanted to meet you in person, my dear. Please, let us talk over here." With that said, I followed the First Enchanter up the steps to a window that reflected the moonlight beautifully. The light illuminated over us in an almost magically shine. It was a perfect picture to stand in. "I do hope you will forgive the Marquis for his ridiculous behavior. He will most definitely be punished by his Aunt for his troubles." I shook my head gently. "It's no trouble, really." My hostess smiled warmly at me as she began to introduce herself. "My name is Vivienne. I am First Enchanter in the Circle of Montsimmard and Royal Enchanter to the Empress Celene's Court. Thank you for taking the time to come to my gathering, my dear. Please, enjoy yourself."  
  
I smiled at her warm inviting nature, though for some strange reason, I could sense something off about the First Enchanter. _I better not mention it. Cassandra said I should stay respectful in front of this woman. I hope my feeling is not important._ Regardless, I continued our discussion politely. "Thank you, my lady, but I should return to the Inquisition soon. I can't really waste my time, knowing of the other matters I must attend to. I mean no disrespect and I hope you can forgive me. Um if I may ask. was there a reason you wished to speak with me?" Vivienne's proud smirk grew by an inch as she listened to my hesitating choice of words. "It is nice knowing you have an instinctive nature of politeness, my dear. You are correct in your decision. I have summoned you here because I have heard of your troubling disputes with finding aid with both Templars and Mages. No doubt you have experienced the Templar-Mage civil war going on, correct?" I nod, listening intently as she continued. "As First Enchanter I wish to aid you, my dear. Having a mage of high potential will not only help your strength rise against your foes but with nobility as well. I _am_ a powerful mage, Herald of Andraste. You will need all the help you can get."  
  
For a moment I had to piece together all of this information. She was right. If I gain her aid, she will help me build strength and respect with nobility. With a satisfied grin and nod, I held my hand out to her, granting a gentle handshake of approval with her. "We welcome you with open arms, my lady Enchanter." "There are wonderful things in our future, my dear. I guarantee it." Vivienne replied with a chuckle. Releasing my hand softly, Vivienne glance down the stairs to the party before looking back to me. "If you could forgive me, my dear, I should attend to my party. I will come to your Inquisition's field of base, Haven I believe, tomorrow morning. I have other spectators to commune with. Until tomorrow, my dear."  
  
"So? Did you get bombarded by all those rich tits?" Sera asked me the instant I had returned to our group. Cassandra retorted in my stead before I even had a chance to speak, "You can't say such things about people around here, Sera!" With a roll of her eyes, Sera simply clicked her heels lightly against the pavement as she skipped away from Cassandra. "Ah, who cares, Seeker? Who's going to hear her in the dead of the night? Nothing but us street rats roaming the streets right now. Besides, she's kind of right." Varric mentioned, stretching his arms behind his head as he walked by my side. I giggled lightly at my companions. "Yeah, I kinda did get full on attention in there. I was a little scared though, cause of the Marquis." Cassandra and Solas both stopped walking ahead of me to look directly at me in worry. "The Marquis?" Cassandra asked with obvious caution in her voice. I nodded once, "Yes. He hid a dagger behind his back and was ready to strike me after saying crap about me in front of everyone. Luckily, Vivienne protected me from him and sent him off."  
  
As we made our way back to the square, I decided to tell everyone of my discussion with the First Enchanter. Cassandra seemed okay with the idea of having Vivienne join our cause, though Varric and Solas were pretty quiet about it. Sera on the other hand kept mumbling slander insults under her breath about 'another rich tit' in our presence. I know she doesn't approve of nobility, but in our current situation, I need to gather any kind of help we can get. Yawning loudly, I almost stumbled in my steps as we turned a corner then began walking down some steps to reach the square. Solas was at my side, grabbing my shoulder quickly before I stumbled forward completely. "Are you alright, da'len?" I chuckle weakly but still managed to nod. "Uh huh. Sorry. I think I'm just tired. So much talking today. I think I'm ready for bed." Solas smiled at me, patting my shoulder once with reassurance. "We are almost at the gate, da'len. Once we reach the carriage, all of us can rest as the scouts carry us across the border back to Haven." I grin at the idea of sleep.  
  
Once we approached the gate, however, we all stopped in our movement as we noticed a shadowy figure standing next to the gate. It was a slender, thin, figure. _Is that..a woman?_ I notice Varric and Cassandra standing in front of me as Solas and Sera both stood to my side. Each one of them looked ready for another battle. Great. Just what we needed. But before anyone could even attempt an attack, the shadow figure held a hand in defense, speaking softly to us as we approached. "Please. Forgive me for interrupting you journey. My name is Fiona. I wish to speak with your Herald, if possible." Cassandra was the first to speak with astonishment in her voice. "Fiona?!" Solas stepped in front of me, standing close in a protective stance. "The First Enchanter of the rogue Mage circles. It is a surprise indeed to be meeting you here and at such an hour. Especially since you were not at the Conclave."  
  
_Well, that is certainly a surprise. She wasn't at the Conclave either?_ Taking a step into the moonlight ahead of us, Fiona revealed herself to us. She is a female elf, probably in her 30s I'm guessing, and dressed in an Enchanter garb. I did not see a staff on her, so I can only assume that she truly did not mean to come for violence, like the Templars this afternoon. "I can sense your hesitation of my motives, sir Elf. And it may be true that I was not present for the Conclave, but neither was the Templar leader, if you remember." Fiona explained, looking from Solas then back to me. "I am sorry for disturbing you, Herald. I witnessed your unfortunate debate with the Chantry and Templars with afternoon. I would have interrupted, however I could not put myself in danger as well. I'm sure you understand. However, despite what your outcome may have been with the Templars, I wished to speak with you about considering the option of having my mages come to aid your Inquisition. If you are interested, please, come to Redcliffe village. My mages are stationed there and we will be more than happy to welcome you into the town." With a gentle bow of her head, Fiona smiled softly and left with a hushed 'Au revour' before walking towards a building.  
  
"That was weird." Sera said, stifling her voice with a yawn as she spoke. I nodded in agreement, fighting off my own contagious yawn as well. "At least she was nicer than the Templars. Should we take her up on her offer?" I asked, looking to Cassandra. "It doesn't hurt, I suppose. Though I wonder why we couldn't just discuss it here, rather than having to meet in Redcliffe. The civil war is still going on in the wilderness. There may be more to her reasoning for meeting us. If we are to meet her, we should be cautious." _Sounds like Cassandra doesn't trust mages_. "We'll discuss it tomorrow, back at Haven. For now, I believe we all deserve a good nights rest. The scouts should be well rested and prepared to take us back in the carriage. Shall we leave?" I nodded instantly at Cassandra's words, almost ready to dash through the steel gates to race to the carriage.  
  
Now that we have a few more extra people added to our carriage, it became a little claustrophobic easily. Luckily, it seems Solas didn't mind me falling quickly asleep on his shoulder. In fact, I think he even draped a blanket over us both. Not sure, but I think Varric even fell asleep and somehow used my lap as a pillow. I didn't mind. I only wanted to sleep. Too much happened today. Too many people want to point blame at me and yet, at the same time, just as many people want to help me. _I wish this journey of mine would have been a lot easier. I thought finding the Divine would be a piece of cake. Maybe I've been watching too many thrillers back home... Home.. I..wonder if mom is doing okay? She probably had gotten the money once I left. I hope...I pray that she is okay. I pray that this journey of mine will come to an end soon. I don't like taking lives. It's not my right. I don't care if I'm some Herald or not. I don't even know if it's true. I only want to get this all over and done with. I wonder though.. once I'm done with my mission, what will happen? Will I go back to Earth? Or should I stay here, as an elf, and become the First to clan Lavellan? I suppose it's good to have options, but..._

 

 


	7. Tick Tock on the Clock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lavellan has another meeting with the Advisors before setting out to find the Iron Bull and his Chargers. Along the way, they clear up multiple undesirable quests before finally heading to Redcliffe, only to find out that things are getting even more worse.

 

"Welcome back to Haven, Herald. Did you have a safe travel into Orlais?" Cullen asked me the following morning of our trip. Our carriage traversed through the hills of Orlais and into the mountainous region of Fereldan overnight. Though the ride was a little bumpy, I still had a very nice sleep. _I don't remember falling asleep with a blanket draped over me though. I wonder if someone did that for me? How nice of them._ Smiling at my Knight Commander with a newfound warmth of the day, I nodded to his question peacefully. "Thank you, Cullen. Yes, I did have a safe travel. Orlais is very pretty and warm. I missed the smell of the ocean. Did I miss anything important while I was away?" Returning my smile with one of his own, Cullen stood in front of me, his arms crossed over his chest before replying to my question. "Nothing you should be concerned of. We had a little...discussion, as one would put it, with Chancellor Roderick. He is still spouting nonsense about you, unfortunately. Josephine also had a meeting with Marquis DuRellion. Though he is Orlaisian, he is the rightful owner of Haven. He was outraged by how our Inquisition is stationed here without his or the Divine's permission. As well as the fact that many wounded civilians are traveling to this destination. He believes his land will become tainted by poor hands, it seems. However, while you were away, Josephine seemed to speak through to him, convincing him of our dire situation. Have no fear, m'lady Herald. The Marquis is allowing our Inquisition to stay. At least for a little while longer."  
  
"I see. That is good then." I nodded, understanding, as I looked around. By the look of things, we had gained more soldiers while I was gone. When we had arrived this morning, a scout had informed me of meeting with the advisors in the Chantry when I got the chance. Cullen added that he would be joining in our conversation after he finished helping the new recruits into their new armor. Waving goodbye to Cullen and the new recruits, I eventually made my way to the Chantry doors. Well, I still had some minor errands to run. Before I made my little hike over to the Chantry, I decided to check in on Harrit, our weapon master, to see if he could improve our weapons and equipment. I honestly like Harrit. He may have a chip or two loose with a gruff attitude at times, but he still is a very kind man. After upgrading our inventory, I decided to see how Sera was doing.  
  
I overheard from a villager that Sera was hanging out at the bar. Inside the bar, it was easy finding my new Elven comrade. "Hi, Sera." I greeted her with a smile. Sera held up her mug towards me. "Heeey there's her lady bits! Come to enjoy a drink or two with me?" I shook my head at her invitation. "Thank you, Sera, but I can't. I only wanted to see how you were doing. Are you enjoying yourself so far?" She smiled warmly at me. "Aw, look at you. Coming in here, caring about me. You're making me feel all fluffy inside. Quit it." I could tell she was kidding. She had a big grin on her face and had nudged my shoulder lightly in a playful manner. "Yeah. I'm okay. This Inquisition isn't as grand as I thought it'd be. You guys need more muscle or something." I nodded in agreement. "I know. I'm sure we all will be needing as much help as we can get." Sera nodded, taking a long sip of her mug. "Don't worry, Herald. I've got faith in you." I rolled my eyes at her words. "Oh gee. Thanks." She laughed at my remark. Feeling satisfied in my new friend, I decided to finally make it over to the Chantry.  
  
Once I had approached, I noticed Leliana waiting for me at the doors. As I had gotten closer, she nodded her head towards me, opening the large doors for me and her to enter. Once inside, Josephine was already waiting near the doorway. "Welcome back, Herald. If I may, I would like to apologize in advance for your unfortunate interaction with the Chantry sisters and Templars in Val Royeaux." She spoke with a half-smile as I gathered near her. Entering into the Chantry with Cullen behind her, Cassandra asked with confusion in her voice, "You knew about our confrontation already?" "Well of course. My scouts are accustomed with providing necessary intel and with the most haste." Leliana replied with a satisfied smirk. "That's all well and good, Leliana, but what are we going to do about our predicament? We had just received word that your interaction with the Templars in Val Royeaux had caused them to retreat to Therinfal Redoubt. The Fort use to belong to the Seekers in the past. Though over time, it had become deserted and completely abandoned for many years. Though, it seems Lord Lucius is gathering up all of the Templars back to that location."  
  
"There is still the matter of the mages, remember?" Cassandra brought my attention to her. I nodded, reflecting back on our meeting with the First Enchanter, Fiona. "Fiona said she and her mages would be waiting to meet with us in Redcliffe village, right?" I asked. "You can't be serious. We have already discussed this. How can we be sure to place so much trust into the hands of the mages against this threat? If we just have the Templars to help us, we can prevent the corruption of magic from the Breach from reaching further. You know this, Cassandra!" Cullen retorted back in obvious disbelief. However Leliana was the one to reply back. "You place too much trust in those Templars, Cullen. Cassandra, your report mentioned Lord Lucius acting in a bizarre manner. I swear, it is reasons like this that makes our days more a struggle." I watched between the three of them in silence as Josephine joined into the conversation. "Perhaps we should have the Herald be the one to make this decision? After all, the First Enchanter of the mages _are_ waiting for the Herald to meet with them, yes? In any case, either party will make do. But we must make a decision quickly. More and more rifts are appearing and if we keep waiting like this, the little faith we have earned from supporters will drop drastically. We can't waste time like this." I sighed, nodding slowly. "I understand. I'll go make sure we are prepared for the journey, then."  
  
Everyone nodded, dispersing to return to their appropriate duties. I too was heading towards the entrance of the Chantry. That is, until Leliana pulled me over for a quick chat. "There is one more thing. I have received reports of Grey Wardens missing." I raised an eyebrow at the lovely spymaster. "What's a Grey Warden?" Leliana smiled by an inch before answering. "A Grey Warden, typically speaking, is a soldier of high extent, trained to slay Darkspawn and to protect the innocence of the land against the Archdemon." She held a hand up, stopping me from asking another question. "Allow me to explain. Darkspawn are demented humanoid creatures, bent on killing the innocence of the land, all the while in league to resurrect and follow in the footsteps of an Archdemon. An Archdemon is the revived incarnation of an Old God. Terrible in all ways lead to believe. It serves in the shape of a High Dragon and its sole desire is to create ultimate chaos and bloodshed upon our world."   
  
"I see. So these Grey Wardens are soldiers? Could we use their help with the Breach?" I asked. Leliana shook her head slowly. "Though it is a welcoming thought, it is far too early to tell. The Grey Wardens goal is to prevent and/or stop any and all exposure of a Blight. Our last Blight ended ten years ago in Fereldan. However, after having just found out about the Grey Wardens missing all of a sudden is very strange to me. I tried sending a missive to the Grey Wardens in Orlais, but they have gone missing as well." My eyes grow wide by this information. "Is that normal?" She shook her head at my question. "No, my lady. It is not. For them to be missing at such a crucial time is a bit too much of a coincidence." I tilted my head lightly at her. "That doesn't make sense... You don't think they have some sort of connection with the Breach, do you?" Once more, she shook her head. "I have met Grey Wardens before. They are not the type to be the enemy, not on purpose, of course. Yet, considering our current events, this is all just too sudden. I am worried they may have had something to do with the Divine's disappearance." My mouth dropped open slightly, stunned. "You think they are to blame?" Her face grew a frown at my words. "I'm not sure what to believe. That is why I requested for your help. I have just received word that a Warden by the name of Blackwall has been seen in the Hinterlands. He is not far from the Crossroads. I figured that since you are returning to the Hinterlands for your meeting with the mages, I was hoping you'd look into this matter for me." I smiled warmly at my spymaster and nodded. "I'll see what I can do. Thank you for letting me know. We need answers as soon as possible, right? Let's hope he will ease our minds a bit."  
  
Stepping out of the Chantry, I ponder over what would be necessary to take on this trip in the wilderness. That is until a man, wearing a casual suit of armor and smiling warmly at me with his feminine features- _Wait. His hair and body definitely has a masculine aura about him, but his face. The bone structure is too gentle. Feminine, almost. Is this really a guy?_ "Excuse me. I've been trying to get an audience with the Inquisition leaders but no one had told me where to find them." He(?) asked me once I left the Chantry doors. Trying to push away my curiosity of the lad, I walked up to him and presented myself with a smile of my own. "What did you want to tell them?" I asked. He straightened his posture, nodding to me in a dignified manner. "Pardon me, m'lady. My name is Cremisius Aclassi. Don't let my name fool you. I may be of Tevinter, but I'm no longer a part of that land. I am lieutenant of the Iron Bull's Chargers. I present a message from our leader, Iron Bull. He wishes to aid the Inquisition in fighting off against the Breach. Your Inquisition is looking for more skilled fighters, yes? The Bull's Chargers are the best all around." Finished with his message, Cremisius pulled out a drawing of a map, handing the sheet of paper to me. "We are docked out at the edge of the Storm Coast. Come on over and see us in action. I promise, you will not regret it."  
  
I glanced at the map he provided for me before looking back up at him. "You said his name is Iron Bull? Is that a nickname or something?" Cremisius smirked at my question before answering. "Iron Bull is his name. He is a Qunari. Strong and proud and a fearless leader. If you desire strength, it'd be wise to meet up with him... If I may ask, are you the one they are naming as the Herald of Andraste?" He asked, looking me up and down. I tilted my head lightly, silently tired of the title, but still I nodded. "Yes. Not quite what you'd assume as a Herald, huh?" Cremisius chuckled for a moment, then coughed an embarrassed choke before resituating his stance. "Ahem, forgive me. I had only heard rumors. No matter. I am pleased to meet you, m'lady Herald. We will be waiting. Have a pleasant day." And with that, Cremisius bowed respectfully before walking away. _Is it just me, or was he flustered when he realized who I am?_ Shrugging my thoughts away, I decide to help out with preparing for departure.  
  
"The Storm Coast, da'len? It is not far, a bit out of the way from the Hinterlands, but I do not see why we can not stop in to meet this Iron Bull." Solas informed me as he stowed away a couple of books into his satchel. After I had spoken to the lieutenant, I figured to ask Solas about the region. "Is there a reason why it's called the Storm Coast?" I asked him. Lifting himself up from crouching near his bed, Solas looked over at me with a curious look. "It is called that mainly because the land is always under bad weather. It's not exactly an enjoyable terrain to gawk at, da'len. Why are you curious?" I shuffled my feet against the ground lightly. "Oh, well. I was just wondering if we'd get the chance to see the ocean." Chuckling silently, Solas walked over to me, patting my shoulder gently with his hand. "You will see it. Though, I warn you in advance not to jump in face first. Due to the bad weather, the waves are far too dangerous to stroll by. You could get swept in too easily. Add to that, the beaches in the Storm Coast are not presentable with soft sands. Rocks litter the shores with seaweed, spindleweed, blood and black lotus flowers. Though they are useful for any herbalist, I implore caution. Ease my mind of suffering, da'len, and stay clear of the waters." He paused for a moment before asking something else. "If I may, why are you asking me and not Varric? He knows that region far more than I. Kirkwall is adjacent from those waters. He would be the one to ask about the area." I blinked, looking up at my mystic tutor. "Well, even if that's true, I like asking you questions. You and I barely had time to talk during our travel to Val Royeaux." Solas moved an inch closer to me, slowly. "Do you enjoy talking with me, da'len?" I took a moment to think over this question before I took it upon myself to answer with a nod. "Yes. Of course I enjoy talking with you. You're my friend, right?" He echoed my smile with one of his own as he stepped away from me. "Of course. Don't worry. We will have plenty of time to chat soon enough. Go on and prepare for our next destination."  
  
 _Let's see. A change of clothes, check. Herbs, check. Pots and pans, check. Hey, where did that new staff I just bought go? Oh! There it is._ Sitting on my bed, I had spent the last hour rummaging through my inventory, preparing for the trip. "I wonder how the mages will react towards meeting us?" I spoke to no one in particular. That is, until Varric's voice entered into my doorway. "Oh you know. Talks of magic versus blades, the typical 'we deserve freedom' chats. Oh and don't forget 'we aren't blood mages'." Looking over to the voice, I smiled at my Dwarven friend leaning against my door frame. "Hello, Varric. Did you have enough to drink?" Varric chuckled at my question. "Smiles, there is _never_ enough for a Dwarf who lives above land. What about you? Ready for another trip in the woods? Chuckles told me you wanted to go to the Storm Coast. Not a pretty place for a cutie to take a stroll in." I rolled my eyes at his comment, but still kept my smile on my face. "I'm not cute, Varric. But thank you anyway. We have a request to meet someone there. A Qu....Qu-something?" "Qunari?" He asked, filling in the blank. I nodded at him as he looked at me with a shock. "Well, shit. Qunari again. I wanna come with, if you don't mind. The Qunari are known for their strong demeanor and for converting people into the Qun,, their religion. Mostly by force. I don't want you to get the wrong impression by those guys." I tilted my head lightly as I listened to him speak. "Are they really that bad of a race?" Shrugging a bit, Varric walked into my room, sitting next to me on my bed. "It really depends on you, Smiles. If Hawke were here, he'd teach you about how to respectfully speak to the Qunari. Without getting your head chopped off, of course."  
  
Traveling to the Storm Coast did take some precious time out of our hands. Together with Varric, Vivienne and Cassandra, we had to dispatch a few rifts from our pathway before finally entering into the stormy terrain. The moment we arrived to our campsite on the Storm Coast, Vivienne grumbled with distaste in her voice as the downpour loomed on over our heads. "Such a poor taste to venture to, my dear. Did you have to bring me along for this trip? I fear the smell of dead fish are going to bury their way into my fabrics by the time our little meeting with this Qunari will be over." I frowned at the dark-skinned Enchanter. "You don't like the sea, Vivienne?" I asked, of which she sighed deeply. "The sea shares its ups and downs, my dear. I humbly regret accepting your request in joining this minor inconvenience. This meeting better be worth it, my dear." _Note to self: Never bring Vivienne along through a trip involving a way to ruin her good looks. Oh well. I like the sea. I don't care about the smell of the fish. Actually I barely can even tell. Just look at those waves! You can feel the sea salt in the air! Ah. I missed this. Truly._ "I don't think she's listening anymore, Iron Lady." Varric laughed, walking beside me.  
  
"Herald, do you hear that? It sounds like swords! Over there!" Cassandra brought my attention back into focus as I followed her gaze. Down a steep, rocky, cliff from below our campsite, we could see in the distance were a group of people. From the look of things, they were two separate groups fighting against each other. "Ah, hey! Isn't that Cremisius down there?" I pointed to the lieutenant I had spoken to before. "Come on, they're gonna need our help." I ordered my comrades as we each ran down the slope to join into the fray. The battle was simple enough, now that we had joined in to help the Bull's Chargers against the enemy. A few blasts of lightning here, a bash against Cassandra's shield there, and the battle ended in a snap. "Not bad." A strong male voice appeared behind me as I blasted one more enemy.   
  
Turning around, I come face to face with a very...very tall man, I think, with huuuuuuge bull horns popping out of his forehead. "H-heh. I can see where the name comes from." I hadn't meant to say it out loud, but the strong grey-skinned man only laughed loudly at my meek words. "Ha! Yeah, they're big, aren't they? Anyway, you're the one helping out with the Inquisition, huh? Hm.. You're an Elf. I thought the Herald of Andraste was a human?" He asked, looking over to his lieutenant curiously. Cremisius shook his head once, "You weren't listening, Captain. You were lost in your drink again." The captain of the Chargers rolled his eye but still kept his approved smirk on his face. "Eh, whatever. Glad you could step in to see what my Chargers are made of. So, what do you think? Worthy enough for your Inquisition?" I chuckled lightly, a little embarrassed that he assumes I'm the supposed leader of the group. "It's not really up to me to decide. Uh but I do think you're exceedingly strong. I could try putting in a good word for you with our Knight Commander, Cullen." Iron Bull shook his head as he sat on top of a large boulder. "Your word is more than enough. You're the Herald, remember? Besides, everyone has been following in _your_ footsteps." He waved me over to take a seat.   
  
Although reluctant, I look over to Varric for a moment before I take a seat in front of the Qunari. "Krem! Tell the others to check the bodies. We don't want to leave any stragglers behind." Iron Bull commanded to his lieutenant. Cremisius nodded, leaving our group to fulfil his order. "Krem?" I asked, looking up to the Bull-horned Qunari. "It's his nickname. I tell ya. It's not easy remembering a name like Cremisius Aclassi when your shit faced from thirty cases of Qunari liquor." My eyes grew wide as he spoke. "Uh thirty?" He nodded, grinning proudly. "Thirty." "Are you...exaggerating?" I asked, earning myself a loud bark of laughter from the Qunari. Smacking his leg with his hand, Iron Bull smirked at my stunned reaction. "Hahaha! I like you. Allow me to formally introduce myself. The name's the Iron Bull. Well, here I am called that. Back in Par Vollen, I'd be what you'd call the Ben-Hassrath. Or specifically saying, we are information gathering spies." I frowned a bit before asking. "Is it okay for you to be telling me that? Most spies don't exactly hand their position on a silver platter." His smirk grew as he replied. "Normally, yes. I'd keep it a secret. Though, I know what you're up against. You see, if you have the Chargers join your Inquisition, you'll not only get them, you'll get me. We can go after whatever you dish out. Bandits, dragons. The bigger, the better. On top of that, I will also hand over intel from my Par Vollen friends. See? It's a win-win for you. What do you say?"  
  
It did not take long for me to accept his offer. With a firm smile and a handshake with the Qunari, I accepted his deal. "Welcome aboard, then. We could always use more hands." Iron Bull chuckled once before he rounded up his men. "You heard the lady, men! Gather everything up! We're heading to Haven!" Krem retorted back with a snarky smirk, "What about the drinks? We just opened them up, with axes!" Iron Bull shook his head, returning the smirk with one of his own. "Find a way to seal them back up. You're Tevinter, right? Use blood magic." Looking back at me, he spoke, "I'll stick around with you a bit longer while my Chargers join up with your camp. It'd be better for us to move in a group. You remember those idiots we were fighting a moment ago?" I nodded, letting him continue. "They call themselves the Blades of Hessarian."   
  
"What a preposterous name!" Cassandra growled, approaching us after helping the Chargers check on the dead bodies. Iron Bull nodded in agreement, "That's what I thought too. It gets worse, though. It seems these guys have been going after your soldiers. My Chargers and I ran into the Blades up north, past those cliffs over there. Sorry to say it, but your scouts are dead. At least five bodies were found huddled in a bloody heap in a locked run down shack. The Blades left this." He handed a letter and map to me. Glancing over the writing, I frowned at the words. "Their leader wants to have a word with me. Well, not a 'word'. More like a challenge. It says here if I gather up enough materials to make some sort of necklace, wear it, and enter their lair, I'll be able to stand up against their leader. Otherwise, we are to be killed on sight." I sighed deeply as I looked over to my friends. "Why can't I find _one_ person who doesn't wanna kill me?" I mumbled. Vivienne shook her head, retorting back with her arms crossed. "It figures, my dear. The weak will always try to trample the strong. You must prove to them you fear none. Make them fear _you_." I groaned lightly. "I get what you're saying, Lady Vivienne, but I'm tired of killing people. I'm almost at my limit." Cassandra stood next to me, placing her hand on my shoulder. "Forgive me, Herald. But you have no choice at this point. You never know, there is always the possibility these people will give up and run away or...well...yeah."  
  
 _I should listen to Cassandra more often. I know she was really mean to me at first, but she really is trying to help. All of this Breach business has been hard on her too. I've gotta help solve all of this mess quick._ Meeting up with the leader of the Blades of Hessarian was not easy. I wanted a more diplomatic way to solve this encounter, of which Vivienne believed was a waste of time. Even if she was right, I still lead my gang into the wilderness to find the necessary materials to mend together their Mercy necklace the leader had mentioned in his letter. Once I finally had the Mercy's Crest created and worn, we found the Blade's base easily. All we had to do was follow the beach. The leader's underlings allowed us access into the base, upon which we found the Hessarian leader with ease. Fighting him in combat was a piece of cake, unfortunately. I wanted to resist more bloodshed but he wouldn't listen. As Cassandra had said, I had no choice but to fight him. I won, luckily, though with sad regret for taking another life. There was only one strange thing about this meeting with the Hessarian leader. After my successful battle, the Blades of Hessarian declared themselves aid to the Inquisition. I thought it was strange how easy it was for them to follow in my footsteps, but after they explained how they hated their leader, they would rather follow in my lead instead. _So, I guess Cassandra was right. Even though I still had to go up against their leader, it was well worth it._  
  
Having spent a night or two in the Storm Coast, we finally decided to make it back to the Hinterlands. Our scouts were waiting for us as one of our campsites, closest to a riverbank. Upon our arrival, a male Elf scout ran up to us, ready to report in. "M'lady Herald. I have an update on the Warden Sister Nightingale had concerns about. His location is not far from this campsite. In fact, if you traverse uphill, you should come across the log cabin he rented out. We have been keeping an eye on his movements, m'lady. Apparently he is helping refugees out. They have been asking him for lessons with sword techniques and defenses. He is still training with them now. I do not know how long he intends to stay at this log cabin. It depends on how well trained he is with his recruits." I nodded at the scout. "Thank you. We should probably notify Leliana about her arrival. If you could, can you please send this message to her? I wrote it overnight. It's a basic summary of our travels in the Storm Coast." The male scout accepted the notice from me, nodding with understanding. "Right away, m'lady."  
  
"You're getting pretty good at this, Herald." Iron Bull mentioned, hefting up his large weapon over his shoulders as he stretched loudly. Groaning lightly, I replied. "You don't have to call me that." He smirked, listening to me groan uncomfortably. "Don't like the name huh? Heh. Alright then. People call you 'Lavellan', right? Mm I'll just call you Boss. That sound better?" Not really, but it didn't matter either way. He seemed satisfied enough. In all honesty, I knew he was right. After traveling around, conversing with many people, I really had become a determined woman. I'm not sure if it's because I want to finish my ultimate mission, or if I had become accustomed to the land here. But no matter what, I have changed. Is it for the better, though, is still a mystery to me.  
  
Referring back to the scout's lead, Iron Bull, Varric, myself and Cassandra each traveled to find this Warden we keep hearing about. During one of our nights at the Storm Coast, Vivienne decided to return to Haven, wanting to check on the few mages we had recruited, as well as mend the smallest tears in her gown. In a way, I'm actually glad she returned to our base. It was awkward being in her presence. I'm not saying I don't appreciate her help, but I had gotten annoyed with her griping about her attire suffering during the majority of our trip. Anyway, now that we were making our way to the log cabin, we could see a man in dark iron armor walk back and forth, teaching his recruits about defenses.  
  
 _He must be Blackwall._ Walking up to the man, I spoke calmly. "Blackwall? Are you Warden Blackwall?" He stopped instructing the villagers, turning towards me in shock. "Who are you? How do you know that na-." Unfortunately, before he could complete speaking, an arrow came flying in between us. He quickly held up his shield, blocking the attack with ease. Clicking his tongue in arrogance, he turned toward his recruits. "Alright, recruits. This is the time to put your skills to the test. You know where to strike!" He then looked back at me and my gang, "I don't know who you are, but if you're not going to fight against us, let it be your choice to help us fend off these mongrels." Almost as instant as our conversation began, we all began fighting against a horde of bandits. Apparently these bandits have been killing and stealing from the villagers. Once the battle ended, Blackwall saluted the villagers with praise. He then handed them their shields and swords, rewarding the recruits with protective gear for future battles to aid their village.   
  
Once the recruits had left, Blackwall approached my gang, curiosity and disbelief upon his bearded face. "I am Blackwall. Who are you and how did you come to find me?" He demanded. I held a hand up in defense. "I mean you no harm, Sir. I am a representative of the Inquisition. I only came to ask you a few questions." "The Inquisition?" He seemed reluctant, but soon enough he returned his blade to its sheath. "Go on. What does the Inquisition wish of me?" I took a deep breath before I began. "We have received word of Wardens missing all around. Considering the circumstances of the Breach growing, the Divine missing and rifts appearing everywhere, we were wondering if you knew why. Or even, if by some small hope, that you may have intel on the Divine's whereabouts." Blackwall didn't seem amused by this information as he began pacing back and forth in frustration. "Give me a break. The Wardens and the Divine?" He looked at my confused expression for a moment before he continued. "No. You probably don't know, huh? Look, after the Blight is over and done with, it's natural for Grey Wardens to be the last thing people talk about. But to be literally missing _is_ of a concern. I had no idea they were missing." "Then why are you still here?" I asked. He shook his head, "Perhaps I was getting ready to leave. Look, I have heard about all of this blasted mess your Inquisition has been facing. But us Grey Wardens have nothing to do with the Divine's disappearance." I held my hand up once again. "I'm not here to accuse, Sir Blackwall. I only wanted to find answers. But, if what you say is true...then coming here was a waste of time. Forgive me for taking up your time." I wave over to my comrades, walking away with them until Blackwall caught my attention. "Hang on for a moment."  
  
Turning back around to face the Warden, I notice him running to join us. "Your Inquisition is in need of help, correct? Take me along with you. Having nothing to do with the Divine is just the same as being the one at fault. If I am with you, I can at least help against this Breach business and try to aid finding the missing Divine." I nodded slowly, trying to understand his reasoning. "How humble of you, Sir Blackwall. But what can one Warden do?" He smirked lightly at my question. "Save the fucking world if pressed. Look, you need me. You need the help. I have a sword and shield that can do more than letting you sit on your hands, waiting for answers that might never arrive." Taking in a deep breath and respectfully smiling at the dark-haired man, I nod once again, holding my hand out to the iron-clad warrior. "In that case, we welcome you, Warden Blackwall." He nodded in approval, ready to begin aiding us in any way possible.  
  
"So, how much further is it to Redcliffe?" I ask Cassandra, peeking over her shoulder to gaze at the map. She sighed softly as she held the map closer to me. "Still a bit of a way. We have to get through the debris the civil war left behind. After that, we head north." She answered for me. "There is a path if you sneak through the mountains. Though, I did see some rifts floating around there. If you think you're strong enough, we can try walking through it." Blackwall mentioned, wiping off some blood from his shield. Seeing as how the Chargers had arrived at Haven, a message was sent from Krem, letting us know of their travels. Iron Bull decided to check in on them, also wanting to see how well Cullen was training the new recruits. Which means I was traveling to Redcliffe with Blackwall, Varric and Cassandra. I actually like traveling with Blackwall. Even though he did not have many interesting stories to tell of his time as a Warden, I still found his energy pleasing. I saw him as a family figure. _He's so much nicer and more caring than a certain father I know. I almost envy Blackwall a little._  
  
Finally reaching Redcliffe village, we ended up having to dispatch another set of rifts at the gate entrance. The moment we had arrived, the female guard ran away, saying something about the rift making her feel old but young at the same time. It gave her headaches. But this rift didn't only just make you feel one way. It literally spouted out these circle-shaped placements into the ground in random points. A few were green while the rest were yellow. Standing inside one could make your attacking speed much faster than normal while the other type would be the opposite. "How did that happen?!" Cassandra exclaimed in complete shock. I too was just as confused. "I don't understand. Does this mean they are getting stronger? I don't remember feeling anything like this in the Fade.." I gulped worriedly as we walked through the open gates. Unfortunately, our stroll into the gate had come to a complete stop as a male mage approached us.  
  
"You are of the Inquisition, correct? The Herald of Andraste? Is there a reason for your arrival, messere?" He asked politely. "Does he not know of our meeting?" Blackwall asked, narrowing his eyes at the young mage. I shook my head, "We were summoned to meet with the First Enchanter, Fiona. Is she still here?" The mage frowned after hearing this. "I'm sorry, my Lady, but you are too late. The mages have put our support into the hands of Tevinter." "What?!" Cassandra shouted, obviously not amused by any of this. I held up a hand, calming her down for a minute. "I don't understand. It wasn't that long ago that we met with her. How can she have given her alliance to someone else so quickly?" The mage shrugged for a moment, stepping aside for us to walk in. "It is difficult to say. We are under the guidance of Magister Alexius. He is out, for the moment however. If you wish to still speak for an alliance, you may try speaking with the First Enchanter. She is to be found in the tavern." Allowing us inside the boundary of Redcliffe, the young male mage walked away, his duty fulfilled before returning to his next errand.  
  
"What do we do now?" I asked, looking back to Cassandra. She shook her head lightly. "If they truly have given up their rights to Tevinter, we may have no choice but to seek the Templars for help instead." I frowned at this option. "I don't know. I feel like we should still try speaking with Fiona. We need to at least know _why_ they have succumbed to Tevinter. Right?" Everyone nodded in agreement. Within minutes we had entered into the bustling town of Redcliffe. Many people littered the streets, talking about the recent activity of the civil war, how the Inquisition has been sending aid and even the concerns of the missing Divine. All in all, everyone was terrified of what might come next. There were too many questions floating in the air and there were hardly any volunteers who wanted to help.   
  
It did not take long for us to find the tavern. The entire bar was mainly filled with mages, with a few civilians here and there. "My Lady Herald, welcome to Redcliffe village." The Grand Enchanter Fiona greeted us once we entered. "May I ask, what brings you all the way here?" She asked. I raised an eyebrow. "Is this some sort of joke? You asked us to come here. Remember? In Val Royeaux?" She shook her head at my question. "You must be mistaken. I haven't been in Val Royeaux for years." I blinked, looking over to Cassandra then back to Fiona. "Then...who did we meet? I could have sworn it was Fiona." "Perhaps it was someone in disguise. But..even if they were, why send us here?" Cassandra pondered loudly. Fiona shook her head, frowning. "I am sorry for the misunderstanding. Are you here to seek for aid against the Breach? I am sorry, my Lady, but my mages and myself...we are all under the guidance of Magister Alexius of the Tevinter Imperium." "Talking about me, are we, Fiona?" A male voice entered into the bar.  
  
Following the voice, I noticed the strange outfit the man wore. It resembled a similar look to a mage, yet also reminded me of a demon. Even the hood had pointed ears. The man walked up to us, a smug grin upon his face as he holds his hand out to me. "Welcome to Redcliffe, my Lady. You are the one they call Herald of Andraste, yes? Pleased to meet you. I am Gereon Alexius. I understand you wished to speak with my mages?" Reluctantly, I slowly accepted his hand, shaking it once while keeping this man in my sights. _Okay, I don't like this guy. His smile freaks me out and well...everything about him just sets me off. Why?_ "I-I..yes. Um. If I may ask, what has brought you to Fereldan, Magister?" He chuckled at my words, stepping to my side. "Fereldan holds many promising surprises that most don't realize. These mages, for instance. They needed guidance. Protection. Their battles with the Templars had been wearing them thin. I simply provided aid for them."   
  
Glancing over to Fiona, I noticed she didn't look too thrilled to being in this man's humble service. Sensing my friends nearby, I could tell they were stepping closer to me. _They must be feeling cautious about all of this. I don't blame them._ "Please. Have a seat, my Lady Herald." Alexius motioned for me to take a seat with him at a table. Looking behind him, he spoke to the younger man, also dressed in similar attire. "Felix. Do me a favor and send this in to the guard, will you? Ah, please forgive me, m'Lady Herald. This is my son, Felix." His son nodded, turning his heel to fulfil his order. Although I was silent, I still followed behind Alexius, taking a seat across from him at the table. "I assume you are here seeking aid from mages, correct? Perhaps we can strike a deal." I raised an eyebrow, curious about his sudden suggestion. "That is quite generous of you, Sir. Though I don't believe the Inquisition has anything to offer to you in equal value." I tried to politely decline his offer. Alexius smirked proudly as he listened to me speak. "I'm sure we can come up with-." His words suddenly get caught off as Felix comes stumbling into the bar.  
  
Looking very sickly, Felix's movements collapse upon me. Luckily I was able to stand up to catch him before he fell to the ground. _What happened with him? Is he sick? Wait, what's this?_ Feeling him press something into my hands, he quickly covers the item with my fingers, pushing it out of sight as his father crouches down to lift his son up. "I am sorry, Herald. But our discussion will have to wait for another day. Come now, Felix. Let us return to the castle." Watching the two leave from the tavern, I walk up to my friends, holding the item Felix handed to me. "What is it?" Varric asked. I opened the sheet of paper, seeing delicate cursive handwriting printed onto the paper reading: _Come to the Chantry. You are in danger_. Looking back to my friends, I frowned lightly. "Think it's a trap?" I asked as Cassandra held the letter, reading it once more. "If it is, we should be prepared."  
  
Approaching the Chantry, I could sense an ominous aura from within. _This feels weird. It's just like when we entered Redcliffe. What could this mean?_ Opening the doors to the Chantry, an unbelievable scene appeared right before our eyes. A male mage was being attacked by demons. It was just like when we entered the gates. A large rift, spawning demons and those weird time warps in random parts of the room. Dodging out of the way of an attack from a demon, the male mage used a burning spell to push back the beast before turning towards me and my friends. "Ah! Good. Right on time. Come over here and help seal this blasted thing, will you?" The man suggested quickly before striking another attack at the enemy. Having no choice, my friends and I helped dispatch the rift. Using the circular time warps on the floor, we did our best striking from the use of the circles which increased our speed, as well as pushing back the demons into the slow moving circles. The strategy worked, luckily, and soon enough we had destroyed the rift that had somehow formed inside of the Chantry. _I can't believe it. How is it possible to form inside of a building? I thought those things were only an outdoor kind of thing. Now I have to worry about them indoors too?!_  
  
"My, what a treat! All you have to do is wiggle your little fingers and then _poof_! Goodbye tears of the sky! How do you do that, exactly?" The male mage asked, approaching me while leaning against his staff. "I- uh..well honestly I don't really know. I only know I can stop it from growing with the use of this." I held up my left hand, the green mark pulsing lightly, now that the rift had disappeared. The man peered closely, that is until Cassandra held her blade out toward him. "Step back, mage! What do you think you are doing, approaching the Herald in such a manner?" She growled at him. The man, however, held up his hands in defense. "Hold on for a moment, dearie. I asked Felix to send that letter to you as a warning, remember? Although, it wasn't this rift that I was talking about when I said you were in danger." I blinked, looking at Cassandra, watching her drop her guard for a moment. Looking back to the man, I asked him. "Who are you?"  
  
"Ah, how could I have forgotten? My name is Dorian Pavus. Yes, I'm from Tevinter. No, I'm not a magister. Allow me to explain. You met Alexius, correct? I use to be his apprentice. Please note the 'use to be' in that sentence. I no longer work under him, you see." I nodded, understanding this man as he spoke. "Are you against the idea of the mages here submitting to Tevinter?" I asked him. He frowned softly as he shook his head. "You see, there is something backwards about your question. Let me guess. Alexius told you he is a Magister who is going to protect and guide the mages here in safety away from the oh-so-scary Templars? Let me provide you with the truth. The mages are not in an alliance with Tevinter specifically. They are actually in league with a Tevinter cult by the name of the Venatori. Think of them as the Imperium and add a little more saucy attitude to the mix and you've got a classic cult." We listened intently, though something seemed off. "Thank you for telling us this, but what does that have to do with us?" I asked curiously.  
  
"I can answer that." Felix replied, entering into the Chantry quietly. Dorian welcomed the man with a smile. "Ah, you made it." Then his smile quickly changed into a frown. "Is he catching on?" Felix shook his head to the question. "No, but I shouldn't have played the sick card." He looked over at me with a regretful frown on his face. "I am sorry for all of this, my Lady Herald." He apologized as he approached me. I shook my head gently. "It's okay. Really. But can you explain what is going on here?" Felix nodded, "My father is obsessed with you. Or, more specifically, that mark on your hand." Completely confused, I looked between the two men. "I don't understand. Why? I barely know anything about this mark except its effects on the rifts all around here. Why be interested in such a thing?" Felix shook his head slowly. "I don't fully understand it either. There is something else. My father and this..cult of his. They are all under the command of someone named 'The Elder One'. I don't suppose you know anything about this person, do you?" We all shook our heads, feeling a deep pit in our stomachs as this news sank in. _Just..what the heck is going on?_  
  
"I don't know when this all started, but this Elder One wants something to do with the Herald's mark. Being as skilled as he is in the ways of magic, my father had volunteered in...presenting the mark to this Elder One. He has been planning many ways to remove your mark, my Lady. And he doesn't care if you survive through the procedure." Felix informed us, his frown deepening as he shook his head in disbelief. Dorian stepped closer to us, interested in this subject. "Is that why he has been interested in time magic?" He asked. I looked over to the male mage curiously. "Time magic? You mean those things that keep pouring out of the rifts? Is that even possible?" Dorian shook his head at my question. "Normally, no. However, Alexius and I had been studying the theory of time magic, yet he had never been able to actually perfect it. That is when I decided to quit being his apprentice. His obsession with the blasted thing was a mystery to me and he would never tell me _why_ he wanted to use it." Dorian paused, watching me with a frown on his face. "If he plans on using the time magic on you.." Listening to Dorian contemplate, Felix began to speak for him. "Unfortunately, my father has already begun using the time magic. And I'm not just referring to the rifts around Redcliffe."  
  
We all looked to Felix, worried about what more is to add. "I believe my father had altered time for our arrival here in Redcliffe. We came here far too soon. The moment the Divine began missing, my father and his Venatori met up with the mages in Redcliffe. It feels too much of a coincidence." I shook my head, feeling a hint of a headache begin to grow. "I don't understand... Why would he try to beat us to the mages? Ugh...There is too much to ask.." Cassandra placed a hand on my shoulder lightly. "Let me try to get this straight. The Magister is in leagues with a Tevinter cult named the Venatori, who are all lead by someone named the Elder One. Alexius has been studying time magic in order to set up a preemptive alliance with the mages and to remove the mark from Lavellan's left hand? How are we to combat such a threat?" She looked over to Varric and Blackwall, both of which shook their heads in confusion. Felix held up a hand, "I'm not sure how to combat this, but my father and his cult are all staying in Redcliffe's castle. Don't bother asking the Arl to send his army to push us out. The Arl is in Demerim, as far as we know. He has been there for a month now. Whatever it is you are planning, you need to do it quick. My father's skills with time magic are getting stronger with each day. Pretty soon those time rifts are going to spread, much farther than the Hinterlands. I pray for your safety and speed, my Lady. You will need it." Dorian watched Felix leave the Chantry in silence before he turned toward me. "If you don't mind, try keeping my presence here a secret, would you? I'd rather Alexius to not notice my interfering his plans. Oh, speaking of, when you go to the castle to meet up with Alexius, I'd like to be there with you. I may be able to fight against his time magic for you. Until then, my Lady Herald." He winked with a soft smirk before stepping into a corner room of the Chantry.  
  
Sighing very deeply, my gang and I left the Chantry and stepped into the loud crowded streets of Redcliffe village. "Well...I've got a headache now. Think we should head back to Haven? I'm sure the advisors will be _thrilled_ by this information." I groaned with each word, looking over to Cassandra with a worried frown on my face. She shook her head, stepping to my side. "I am sorry you have to go through this, Herald. But you are right. We should make haste for Haven. And we must prepare for battle, if this cult is as true as this Dorian had mentioned." _So much for having a peaceful sleep tonight. Why is it that my destined goal of finding the Divine keeps pushing back? It's one thing after another! Ugh! Well, at least I have some more people helping me out. Even Dorian wants to help. From the look of his fighting skills, he's pretty useful. I just hope he won't turn around and use his knowledge of time magic against us. My head hurts enough as is._

 

 


	9. If I Could Turn Back Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day to face bad times begins as Lavellan traverses through a split into reality with Dorian, coming face to face with horrors in many more ways that one. Add to that, upon returning to her present time, a new feeling hangs over her heart as she tries to confront Solas.

"This is absurd! The rifts are spitting out specific spots in an area, causing the time to distort itself? Add to that, we have some Tevinter cult to deal with now?" Shaking his head back and forth with his hand caressing his forehead, Cullen groaned in sustained annoyance after I had gone through a long discussion of our experiences in Redcliffe. To be quite frank, no one was thrilled by any of this. I couldn't bring myself to look at the advisors to their faces while I explained everything. "Calm down, Knight Commander. Don't pressure the Herald so much. This is stressful for us all." Cassandra spoke, standing next to me with her hand on my back. I knew she was trying to relieve me of my worries. "If this is true, what should we do? This Time Magic your mage friend told you seems to be feared greatly. If we look away now, it may be used against us." Leliana replied, glancing over to the other two advisors. Josephine nodded, jotting something down on her clipboard, before speaking. "Does this mean you and the Herald will head to Redcliffe's castle to confront this Alexius?" Cassandra glanced at me, of which I too looked up to nod slowly. Feeling eyes on me, I began to speak. "I don't think we have much of a choice. The threat holding over the mages is stronger than that of the Templars. I'm sorry, Cullen, but we have to take care of this before it gets worse." "Beautifully spoken!" Dorian's voice applauded from the doorway of the war room.  
  
Glancing over to the tan skinned mage, a solider stood behind Dorian, referencing him as he entered the room. "Forgive me, Knight Commander. This man says he wanted to speak with your council." Cullen nodded, waving the soldier to return to his guard duty as Dorian stood beside me, smiling with approval. "Thank you for doing this, Herald." He bowed his head respectfully to me, by which I replied with a gentle bow of my head as well. "A-ah yeah. I..I just can't turn a blind eye from this." I spoke. "In deed." Dorian said, looking over at the map on the table. "I came to inform you all that there might be a small problem. The entrance to the castle is heavily guarded. Getting in will not be easy and I don't assume climbing the mountains to sneak in will be a wise decision." Taking a moment to think, Leliana decides to add in to our plan. "I might have a suggestion. There is a hidden entrance into the castle. I remember it from when I helped with the last Blight. I could have my scouts sneak in from that route while we have someone provide a distraction." Cassandra tilted her head, glancing over to the spymaster. "Someone? Who, exactly?" She asked before Josephine replied. "Why not the Herald? This Alexius is already expecting her to meet up with him. Why not give him what he wants while Leliana's scouts sneak in from the shadows?" I nodded in agreement. "I'm up for it. As long as I'm not alone." Cassandra also nodded with me. "You won't be." She smiled at me. "If you don't mind, I'd like to join you." Dorian interrupted, turning towards me. He continued, "I have something to say to my old teacher. Besides, you will need someone who has knowledge and experience with Time magic." Smiling up at the tanned man, I nodded deeply. "Of course. I appreciate your help in all of this, Dorian."  
  
Sighing deeply to myself as I made my way to the apothecary, I couldn't help but feel so scared about all of this. _Time magic, Alexius, this Venatori now. There is just too much. I..I don't know how much more I can take from all of this._ "Da'len, are you alright? You look pale in the face." Solas' voice appeared from behind me as I approached the apothecary. Turning around to face my male Elven friend, I could only find myself shrugging lightly. "Ah. Yeah.." I replied meekly. Obviously not satisfied with my hushed reply, Solas walked closer to me, placing his hand on my shoulder. "Come, sit with me. Tell me what is on your mind, da'len." Although I was a bit hesitant, I still found myself in Solas' small room. Sitting on his bed, I ended up telling him of my experiences in Redcliffe. He sat silently, listening intently as I spoke with a frown on my face. Once I finished explaining, I looked up at him with clouded eyes. "Solas..I..I'm scared. I didn't expect any of this. I thought I was sent here _just_ to find the Divine. But once I arrived in Haven, everything changed. Too many things are waiting for me to take care of. And what's worse is that everyone _expects me_ to be the one to face all of this. All because I'm seen as some 'Herald'. It's amazing how a title effects people." Smiling softly at me, Solas inched closer on the bed, placing his hand on my knee. "Da'len, I know this is stressful for you, and I am sorry for it. Unfortunately, this is a responsibility you must uphold. However, you will not be alone in this venture. Please remember that..." Silence sat in between us before Solas continued. "Lethallan...would you like me to join you in this quest?" Instantly, I nodded my head. I didn't realize how much I wanted him with us. And it seems Solas was just as relieved, seeing as how he released a sigh of relief, moving his hand from my knee to my back in a gentle motion. "As you wish, Lethallan. I will stand by your side. Now, we must prepare. We know not of what we might face."  
  
Visiting the Apothecary was helpful. Adan aided me in strengthening some of our potions, as well as leaving me with some extra bandages for the road. Sera and the Iron Bull both seemed thrilled by the fact that they were not joining in on this trip. Neither of them relished on the thought of encountering magic, or demons for that matter. Blackwall helped Cassandra with providing support and training for Leliana's scouts. As strange as it must have been, at one point I over heard Vivienne and Varric arguing over the tragedy of Kirkwall. Varric was only trying to explain to Vivienne about how the red lyrium had effected Knight Commander Meredith. Instead, all the dark skinned mage wanted to do was place blame on the ever flowing fear of the 'untamed mages running amuck in Kirkwall', as said by her words. Once I got the dwarf alone, he confessed to me how much he was growing to dislike that woman. As for myself, after I had spoken with Adan and checked in with my friends, I decided to ask for stronger armor from Harrit before returning to my little hut to prepare for returning to the Hinterlands.   
  
Approaching the castle of Redcliffe, my small group of Cassandra, Solas and myself gathered in front of the gates, stopping for only a moment to speak with the Venatori guards. "Halt!" One of the guards placed his hand up while the other held his weapon close, ready to fight if we were a threat. "State your business." The guard demanded as we approached. "I am of the Lavellan clan, sent as a representative for the Inquisition to speak with the Magister Alexius." The two guards look to each other for a moment before nodding. "Understood. The Herald may enter, but only by herself. Her friends must stay here." _Oh shit. What? No way am I going by myself!_ Shaking my head, I decline the man's request. "I'm sorry but they _will_ stay with me. My friends go where I go. If you will not let us all through, then we will just leave." Clicking his tongue in annoyance, the guard nodded, stepping aside to let us in. "Understood. But keep your weapons sheathed. We will have our eyes trained on you." Looking to my friends for a moment, we finally entered into the large castle.  
  
"Welcome to my castle, Herald of Andraste. Please, make yourself at home." Alexius greeted us, or more specifically, me, as we entered into the throne room of the castle. Smirking with pride as we approached the throne of which he sat in, Alexius portrayed an ominous vibe, looming over us as we gathered. "We are here to speak of the negotiations pertaining to-" "The aid of mages for containing the Breach. Yes, I remember, dear Herald." Alexius spoke, interrupting my words. "Unfortunately, I can not allow you to receive the aid of my mages. They are to assist me in providing strengthened support in my son's illness. Isn't that right, Fiona?" Glancing to his side, the Grand Enchanter Fiona stood, a sullen look of sadness plain on her face as she stared at the ground. "Y..Yes, sir." She replied softly. I frowned as I watched Fiona speak with such regret in her voice. It was obvious that she did not truly want to put her faith into the hands of the Tevinter. "Your son is sick, Alexius?" I asked, innocently of course. The Magister nodded, a frown on his face as he spoke. "That is correct. My son has been suffering with a mysterious illness for months now. With the necessary support from my mages, I have been promised by the Elder One that he will erase all existence of the dreadful illness within my son."  
  
 _Ah, that's right. I was told to keep up a distraction. The scouts should be somewhere nearby right now. I'll have to keep the Magister's eyes on me and my friends._ "I've only heard of this Elder One once. Who is this old man, exactly?" I asked curiously. Raising his chin in a proud manner, Alexius stood up from the throne, as if to seem higher in power just by standing, before he spoke. "The Elder One is no 'old man', Herald. You'd do well to respect one who is of higher authority than you. The Elder One is to be a God! Not even your Inquisition is enough to withstand his presence." Shaking my head lightly, I responded. "You sound a bit threatening for a second there, Magister. But a 'God'? How exactly is he some sort of God?" Clicking his tongue in spite, Alexius retorted in reply. "It is your own fault, Herald. You took what was his." "Come again?" I ask, tilting my head in confusion. "He is talking about your mark on your precious little hand there." Dorian's voice echoed from a pillar behind us.  
  
Approaching toward the throne to join by my side, Dorian greeted his old tutor with a taunting smirk. "Hello again, Alexius. If I might ask, what exactly do you want with the Herald's lovely hand there? As far as I'm concerned, her hand does not belong to some God." Alexius shook his head back and forth, a disapproved frown burning into his face. "Dorian.. You should not have come. I am disappointed in you. Did you think to solve anything by standing by _her_ side?" Dorian simply shrugged his shoulders as he spoke. "And why not? She is a lovely girl. Her side is far more welcoming than some I know." _Okay, I'm confused. What's going on?_ "Uh Dorian?" I asked, earning his gaze. "What do you mean my mark is what Alexius is talking about?" Although my question was directed at Dorian, it was Alexius who answered. "The mark belongs to my master. You stole it, girl. Due to your mess, I have been tasked with returning what was lost." Sensing my friends stepping closer to me, I could tell that Alexius was planning something. Though, before I could act, Alexius held up a green stone, quite similar to that of the amulet that sent me through the Fade, vibrating with power as he held it out toward me. I gasped lightly as I felt power emerge from the crystal. _W-what is this? It almost feels like the Fade but ugh my head..I can't think..._ "No!" Dorian shouted, attacking the stone with a blast of his magic power. However, once he struck the stone, everything became an ultimate blur. Next thing I knew, when I opened my eyes once again, I was in a foreign area.  
  
I woke up standing in knee-high water, a terrible stink roamed the area around me as I became accustomed to the hall of which I fell in. Though, I didn't have much time to take in my surroundings as two guards, standing in complete shock, began to attack me. Luckily, Dorian was still with me, providing aid against my attackers. The battle with the two guards was over in a blink of an eye, finally allowing me and Dorian to look around freely. Despite the water brushing against our knees, there was one other important detail that caught my eye. Red lyrium was _everywhere._ In fact, the stuff was not only growing from the walls but it seemed to be coming out of the corpses that littered the area. _Wait. Are we in a dungeon?_ "Well, now. This is quite strange. This still looks like the castle but something seems off. None of these red lyrium were here while we were walking before." Dorian mentioned, looking around. "What do you mean, Dorian?" I asked. He took a moment to think before he snapped his fingers. "Ah, of course! That little green gem Alexius used must have been what he uses to create a Rift doused with Time magic. I disrupted his plan, however. So whatever it was he had planned, we had instead been transported somewhere in the castle. But we are not in the same time either." My eyes grew wide in shock. "W-wait what?! Dorian, that's not good! How far did he take us? What about Cassandra and Solas? They aren't here with us..." I grew scared instantly though Dorian smiled at me, placing a hand on my shoulder softly. "Don't worry, Herald. I'm here to protect you. We will find a way out of this mess Alexius put us in. Maybe if we found him again, we can get him to return us to our present. In the mean time, we should find answers. Let's try finding someone to tell us when we are."  
  
Traversing through the dank tunnels deep beneath the castle was not enjoyable for me. Though I did appreciate having Dorian with me by my side, I still felt terrified. _What if we don't make it? What if we get stuck here forever? I'll never see my mother or my clan again...._ "Lavellan, look." Dorian interrupted, pointing to a cell as we entered into another part of the dungeons. Glancing ahead, Dorian and I stood in shock in front of the cell. Inside, fused to the wall with red lryium, was Fiona. Opening her eyes slowly, I saw her cringe in pain as she tried turning her head to look at us. "...How..is this possible? H..Herald? You're...alive?" She spoke with strain in her voice but still, she continued. "We watched you..die..." I shook my head as Dorian began asking her a question. "Please, you must tell us. What is today's date? It is important." Taking in a deep breath, she answered. "Harvestmere...9:42....Dragon..." _I don't think I'll ever understand Thedas' calendars._ "42? We have only missed a whole year! That is better than I thought." Dorian looked at me with a warm smile. Although, I was still confused, I nodded back. "There is something else." Fiona struggled to find her words before trying once more. "Your friends...are locked away...somewhere in the dungeons. You must find them before the red...lyrium consumes them too..." Frowning deeply, I put my hands on the bars of the cell. "I'm so sorry about this, Fiona. I promise..I'll stop this."   
  
"How much further do you think these dungeons go? It's hard to tell with all of these red lyrium everywhere." I asked Dorian, who shook his head once we entered a new hallway. Examining in each cell, we eventually found ourselves hearing movement. "...Hello?" I asked to the ruffling soft. From the sound of the movement, the person was shocked when they heard my voice. Following the sound, I look into the next cell and gasp as I see Solas, with a strange red aura erupting from all around him. "H..How?" He asked, standing up from the inside of his cell. "Solas.." I looked at him sadly. "What happened to you? H-How did this happen?" My voice quivered as he approached the bars of his cell. He looked tired and in pain. But, something else in his eyes that I couldn't name. _Solas? What's the matter with you?_ "Your friend doesn't look so good, dearie. Your name is Solas, correct? You saw what happened a year ago, yes?" Dorian asked Solas, fidgeting with the lock of his cell with a hairpin. Solas nodded, waiting patiently for his cell to finally be opened. "When I counterattacked Alexius' time magic, his attack sent Lavellan and I to a year in the future. If you could, please tell us what Alexius has done to create this...mess in the castle." Dorian explained.  
  
Once his cell was opened, Solas walked out of his cell, grabbing his weapon that stood not far. "I'm afraid to tell you that any hope you may have had in the past has been washed away. The moment you...died...a terrible war ensued. Led by the tyrant God known as the Elder One. With the help of the Magister, the Elder One led the war with an army of demons from the Fade. Armed with an undefeated army, the Elder One attacked the Orlaisian armies, and slayed Empress Celene. The Breach has grown too far and the rifts it creates litters the land as far as Par Vollen." Explaining with detail in his words, Solas faced me and Dorian. "I can't believe it. Everything has gotten so much worse? I..Everything that we did to prevent it to grow. Did it mean nothing at all?" I asked, looking down to the ground. I felt so defeated and lost. "Vhenan.." Solas spoke softly. _Huh?_ Looking up at him, he walks over and pulls me into his arms, causing me to rest my head against his chest. My eyes grew wide in shock as I listened to his heart. It was beating fast. Excited, almost. _But, why? A-and what's a vhenan? Solas always calls me da'len or lethallan. What's a vhenan?!_ "I hate to ruin such a good thing, but we should find Cassandra, don't you think?" Dorian interrupted. Though he was hesitant, Solas leaned away from me, setting me free from his grasp. I didn't know what to do. I just stood there, looking at him with a stunned expression. But Dorian is right. We have more important matters to take care of.  
  
"By the Maker! How.. You're alive? Is this a dream?" Cassandra exclaimed in shock as I approached her cell with Solas and Dorian. When we were approaching her cell, I could tell she was praying. Cassandra was kneeling in the corner of her cell, reciting the Chant of Light. It is a beautiful prayer, as I have heard. Seeing me without harm brought joy to her face, no matter how much red lyrium was effecting her. Once freed from her cell, Cassandra quickly grabbed her weapons and faced me with a determined stare. "I am glad you are alive, Herald. I had never lost faith in you. None of us had. Now, we must find the Magister. I have heard from the previous guard that Alexius has been holding himself up in the throne room. It is heavily guarded, and locked, however. We will have to find the keys to the lock. And Leliana." I blink in confusion as she spoke. "Leliana is here?" Cassandra nodded, "Yes. The Venatori had captured her and has been torturing her. They have been trying drastic measures to find out how you gained the use of the mark on your hand. We must hurry."  
  
 _I wish none of this had happened.. I'm so sorry everyone._ Fighting back my tears, we continued to climb higher into the castle. Along the way to finding Leliana, we searched various rooms. Some of these rooms contained letters and journals addressed from Alexius himself. Apparently the Magister has grown quite frightened of his position of rank within the Elder One's army. He feels that any minute, he will die by the Elder One's hand, just for making the wrong move. And this 'wrong move' apparently is the fact that his time magic has been failing. Add to that, his son Felix has grown much worse with his health. Not much detail went on for the description of his son, though there was one thing that caught my attention. The journal also provided information on how the outside lands were coping with the strength of the Breach. To put it quite simply, it's not good. At all. In fact, it is even worse than I had imagined. 'Hell on Earth' would only be a dream compared to the horrific reality that resided in the land. This apparent 'future' had created a foreign land no one wanted. Except for the Elder One.  
  
"Tell us how she came to earn the mark, Spymaster!" A slashing sound, followed by a large snapping sound erupted from a door as we came near quietly. "Ugh! N..Never." Leliana's pained voice whispered from the door, confirming her location. "Tch. Stubborn bitch. There is no point in relying in your false God any longer. A new and righteous God has risen! How can you not see his Glory?! Submit to the Elder One!" Another loud snapping sound, followed by Leliana's scream echoed into the hall. Annoyed enough with the sound of her torment, I bust down the door with my comrades, causing the guards in the room to turn around in shock. Noticing the perfect chance, Leliana wrapped her legs around the closest guard's neck, tightening her grip in her thighs, and quickly snapped the man's neck as we dispatched the remaining enemies to the ground. Once finished, Cassandra and I ran over to Leliana, releasing her from her hold. "You're alive.." Her voice broke softly as she finally stood on her feet in front of me.  
  
"Leliana.." I gulped a large lump in my throat as I gazed upon the Spymaster. _How did she turn out this way?_ Leliana was not exposed to the red lyrium. Yet her enchanting beauty had reversed in a way that made her look like a wicked witch of the west, if possible. Her eyes were round with large dark circles hanging from her cheek bones. Her skin was no longer smooth like silk. Instead, she wore a wrinkled disguise of pale grey tones, decorated with scars and blisters. The most recognizable feature about the woman, however, were her eyes. They no longer held life and wonder in her orbs. Her gentle eyes had been replaced with anger. Hatred. Malice. And when she spoke, her voice dripped of revenge. No more hope sang on her words. No more praise or love. Life died in Leliana and a creature longing for death and chaos remained. "Oh Leliana.. I'm so sorry." I spoke softly to her, wishing I could hug all of her pain away. But she would not take any of my words to value. "Keep your soft words to yourself, Herald. They are wasted on me. Come. Alexius is not far. It is time to make him feel the pain we have had to face."  
  
Climb after climb took place as we scoured the entire castle. Venatori found us in every angle we would take, along with demons and fade rifts. There was not one safe place in the entire castle. Once we found the door to the throne room, we can to the conclusion that we had to go on a manhunt for the keys to the door. It was more of an annoying chore rather than a goal to complete. Considering the fact that the entire castle was filled with debris and red lyrium, it was difficult finding the specific guards that held the keys. But once they were found, we ran back to the door to the throne room, unlocked the door and stormed inside, coming face to face with Alexius sitting on the throne with a depressed frown upon his face and his son, collapsed to the floor.  
  
"Felix!" Dorian shouted in horrified surprise. "What have you done to him, Alexius?!" He shouted angrily at the Magister. "I did everything I could to save him.. But it didn't matter. None of my magic could save my son.. Now the Elder One will be coming to kill me for my failures. I couldn't save my son. I couldn't bring the Herald's mark to his hand again. Everything I've done...wasted..." Alexius spoke with regretful despair. I glared at the man on the throne. "Alexius.. I can't believe you. You're horrible!" Raising his head to return my glare, Alexius spat at me as he slowly raised himself from the throne. "You wouldn't understand. I'm a father. I only wanted to save my son! If you would have just died like was planned, none of this would have happened! My son would be alive!" Enraged with seeing my living form standing in the throne's hall, he began to summon another rift into the center of the room, causing a new battle to ensue. "I'll tear your mark from your body by force if I must! At least then the Elder One would not kill me for my failures!" He roared, throwing blasts of energy at our location.  
  
Our battle with the Magister probably took an hour as we would often have to dispatch hordes of demons from coming out of the rifts he would create. At times Alexius would taunt our actions before attacking us with more time magic to throw us off guard. Though no matter how hard the man tried, we still manage to succeed in the end. Snatching the green gem from Alexius' body, Dorian held the jewel towards me, examining the decorative item in detail. "Hmm. If I focus enough energy into this thing, I might be able to return us to our present time. It should take an hour at least." He explained. Leliana didn't seem to enjoy this news however. "An hour?! You don't have that much time. You have to leave now!" Unfortunately, she was right. The moment she spoke, blasts from the doorway started banging against the wooden frame harshly. Cassandra and Solas looked at each other for a moment before approaching me and Dorian. "We will provide a distraction. Dorian, you must do whatever you can to make haste with your magic. No matter what happens, do not leave his side, Herald." Cassandra spoke sternly with a hint of regret. "W-what? No. I can't let you guys sacrifice yourselves for this. There must be another way!" I felt my need to cry return to my eyes as Solas stood in front of me. "You must be strong, vhenan." He spoke as he rested his forehead against mine gently. "Ir abelas, ma vhenan." He whispered, pushing himself away as I felt a lone tear fall from my eye. With confused silence, I watched my friends leave the room to defend our minutes with their last breath.  
  
I wanted so much to run after them. They shouldn't have decided this. I wanted to argue, to yell and fight back. But Leliana would not let me. Instead, she stood between us and the door, aiming her arrows at every demon that bared through the door. One demon marched through, then another. Within mere seconds, Leliana became swarmed with demons at her neck as my friend's corpses were tossed out of the way to litter the floor with blood and faded memories. "N-no. Cassandra.. S-Solas!" I felt tears beg to fall as I tried to step closer to my deceased friends, but Dorian grabbed my arm, forcing me to stand near him. "I know how you feel. Really, I do. But we _have_ to finish this spell. We have to prevent this from ever happening, do you understand?" The moment he finished speaking, a portal of time wrapped around us, returning us to a time I had never forgotten.  
  
To Alexius, our disappearance into a dreadful time must have only been a split second. Dorian's time portal returned us to our present successfully, placing us back in front of Alexius and the living Felix and Fiona along with our friends, all standing in shock as we appeared out of thin air. Realizing the defeat of his magic, Alexius collapsed to his knees, giving up instantly as the Inquisition scouts surrounded the Magister. Clapping the man in irons, the scouts stood with the captive, ready to send him to the dungeons under Haven's Chantry. I stood silent as Dorian explained our experiences in the alternate reality to Cassandra and Solas. Although, he held back the detail of our friend's fallen fate. _He probably didn't want me to relive the moment. But even so...I don't think I can erase such a thing from my memory..._ "Cassandra." I couldn't help but to interrupt Dorian's speech. Everyone looked to me as I glanced to Cassandra with tired eyes. "I...can we go back now? I..I don't like being here.." She nodded gently, "Y-yes of course.. But what about the mages?"  
  
Stepping close to us, Fiona bowed her head respectfully. "I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive us, Herald. I did what I thought was best for my mages. I only wish I realized sooner how wrong my methods were. If it is any consolation, I would like to offer my services to your Inquisition. I have heard my mages speak of your will and of your exploits. You are a saint among many it seems. I believe I speak for all of my mages when I say that we wish to aid you in sealing the Breach." Cassandra stepped next to me, concern in her voice as she spoke. "The mages decided to surrender easily to the Venatori, Herald. If we are to have their aid, I believe it would be sufficient to conscript them into our service. They must be watched at all times if they are to make another mistake again." I frowned deeply. _I'm sick of being the one to make all of these stupid decisions. Why is it ALWAYS me who has to make the decision?!_ Sighing for a moment, I shake my head before answering. "I'm sorry, Cassandra. But I believe Fiona understands her faults. She was only doing what she thought was best for her people. Wouldn't you do the same in her shoes?" Although she was reluctant, Cassandra eventually nodded, stepping away. Turning to Fiona, I nodded gently. "Thank you, Grand Enchanter. I am sure our Inquisition will be thrilled to have you and your mages assist us against the Breach." Fiona looked at me in shock, most likely expecting me to turn her offer down completely. "I-I...thank you...Herald. You are truly an understanding woman."  
  
 _Ah finally. I'm so glad to be back in Haven. I just want to go to bed. I want to forget everything that had happened._ "Shit, what happened to you, Smiles? Where is that cute little turn of your lip?" I know that Varric was only trying to be nice and to get me to laugh like usual, but I just couldn't do it. "Thanks, Varric. But, I'm just not in the mood. Goodnight." "Goodnight? It's still to early, Herald!" Sera shouted excitedly, running towards me. I waved at her lightly as I tried walking away. Unfortunately my female Elven friend caught up to me easily, dragging me to the tavern with her and Varric to join with Iron Bull and his Chargers for a congratulatory drink for granting the mages to join the Inquisition. "Guys, really. I just want to sleep. Can't we do this in the morning?" I begged softly but Sera still dragged me to the far corner of the tavern. "You can be tired later. Bull's got some hard stuff for you to try out! It'll put hair on your breasts, haha!" Sera snickered as she plopped me down into a chair next to Krem. Pushing a large mug in front of me, Iron Bull smacked me on my back, applauding me of my current success. "I'm proud of ya, Boss. Here's a little something as a reward. Don't worry about the tab. It's on me." He smirked before he drowned his own mug of mysterious brown foam in less than a minute's haste. "Thank you, Bull, but I really don't want-." "Ah, come on! Just drink!" Sera chanted, grabbing my drink and pouring it down my face. I gasped as the hard liquor spilled into my mouth, as well as my shirt. Coughing roughly, I try wiping my face as I glare at my female Elven friend. "S-Sera! I said I don't want any!" Holding her hands up in defense, Sera shook her head back and forth before speaking. "H-Hey! I'm only trying to get you to have a lil' fun! You should lighten' up!" Iron Bull frowned, placing a hand on Sera's shoulder. "Let Boss go, kid. She can try another later." "B-but..." Sera pouted, looking down sadly. Varric shook his head, taking a gulp of his drink before adding to the conversation. "It's alright, Buttercup. Let Smiles be by herself. She had a busy time with the mages, remember? She's tired. She can party when she wants."  
  
 _I know Sera was only being nice but.. I don't want to see anyone. I want to be alone right now._ Yet, even as I tried walking back to my hut, I couldn't shake off the feeling of being watched. "Da'len?" Solas' voice spoke behind me as I passed the Apothecary. I stopped walking slowly, keeping my gaze to the ground. _What is wrong with me? Solas is my friend and... Why is it that when I hear his voice.. I want to cry?_ Feeling him approach me, I turned my back away from him. Silence stood on end between us before he spoke. "Lethallan, you're reflecting on what happened...aren't you?" I didn't reply. We both knew he understood what I was feeling. "Would you like to return to the lake? It is quieter there. You can let your mind roam freely."   
  
Having the cool gentle breeze of the frozen lake kissing my cheek was actually quite pleasant. Solas was right in taking me here. Before we decided to enjoy the view, Solas left a message on his hut door, reflecting on where he and I would be. 'To prevent our actions from last time', he said. In all honesty, I wished he didn't come with me. I didn't know what to say. Actually, that's wrong. I know what I want to say, I just didn't know which question to ask first. After the events I had to face with Dorian in the future, my mind was rolling from the terror. I still couldn't let go of watching Leliana suffer. The screams of innocent lives, snatched away easily. My friend's lives.... "Lethallan.." Solas spoke, sitting next to me silently before he began to speak. "Please talk. Don't suffer alone. I know it is far too much to handle alone. I know what it is like, trust me. I am your friend, remember? Let your mind speak." Gulping a large lump in my throat down, I still couldn't find myself to face him. My eyes threatened to rain on my face. I didn't want him to see it. "I..I'll be fine. You can go back to your hut, Solas.." Instead of abiding by my option, Solas refused my words and continued speaking. "A demon army at the command of this Elder One and the death of Empress Celene. Though it was satisfactory to receive the aid of Fiona's mages. At least we now have a chance against the Breach. We now have a chance to prevent the nature of the future events from ever taking place, Lethallan."  
  
My bottom lip quivered, asking my body to break down in tears. I wanted to. By all the Gods, I wanted to. But not like this. Not in front of Solas. Whimpering quietly as I stared into the icy lake in front of me, I listening to Solas continue speaking for me. "Lethallan. If you will not speak, will you at least sing? It could ease your mind from your pressuring thoughts if you focus on the lyrics instead." I shook my head slowly, feeling a quivering sigh escape my voice. Silence wrapped around us until I decided to give in. "Why do you keep calling me that?" I asked him, causing him to look at me with a raised eyebrow. "I beg your pardon? I call you Lethallan because I see you as a close friend. Your clan taught you that, did they not?" I shook my head, finally looking at Solas with sad and confused eyes. "You didn't call me that in the future.." Frowning by this information, Solas held his hand over mine gently. "Lethallan.. No matter what I may have said to you in the future, we are currently on the path to reverting that tragedy. I promise you now. I hold no hatred or ugly thoughts of you in my-." "Vhenan." I interrupted him. His eyes grow wide slightly as he spoke softly. "I..what did you..just say?" I gulped lightly as I repeated myself. "You called me 'vhenan' in the future. Solas.. What does vhenan mean?" A long silence echoed between us. I could see the confusion on Solas' face. _What is he contemplating over? Why can't he just tell me?_ Taking in a deep intake of breath, Solas finally stood up from his spot, turning away from me. "I....... Perhaps I should return you to your hut. It will be late soon and you have a big day to discuss with the advisors in the morning."  
  
The silence that hung over our heads as Solas led me to my hut was more like a heavy weight on my heart. Solas is hiding something from me. I felt it in my heart. Knowing this pained me and I couldn't figure out why. Closing the door behind me as Solas left my side to return to his own hut, I let my hand linger on the door, thinking back to my question. _All I did was ask him what vhenan meant. Is it really that hard to explain? If Solas isn't going to teach me, like the act of a scholar as he claims to be, then I have no choice. I have to figure it out on my own._ The only problem was that I had to focus my attention on what will occur tomorrow. I will have to reflect on everything that had happened in Redcliffe's castle again. Wonderful. Trying hard to relieve myself of my stress, I finally moved to my bed, kicking off my shoes as I think of my duty. With the mages help, I will have to finally close that blasted Breach. Will I be able to do it successfully?

 

 

 


	10. Fire and Ice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding the courage and much needed help for finally sealing that darn Breach in the sky, Lavellan felt her journey go from one step forward to five hundred steps back. Haven gets instantly bombarded with an army of red lyrium drunken Templars, a friggin dragon and to top it all off, a self-proclaimed God by the name of Corypheus! But all of this isn't the most heart wrenching for the young Elf as she faces too much death before her eyes, and when she herself screams at one friend who only wanted to help. Though, as Fate has it, her chances of surviving such a tremendous night stretches on even as she finds warmth and comfort in an unexpected furry Elvhen God.

 

 _Okay.. I'm ready for this. All we have to do is climb the mountain to the ruins of the Temple of Andraste and seal the Breach once and for all. Right! Piece of cake. I hope._ Climbing the mountain paths to face the remains of the temple was actually quite easier than I had hoped. In order to seal this Breach, I had Cassandra and Solas joining me at my side. Varric had also volunteered to join in the fray, saying something about wanting to put all of this into his next book. _I suppose I understand his reason for coming with us. This is a part of history, right? I wonder what people would think of reading a book about a woman from another world, guided by Andraste to suppress and tame the demon horde which came from the Breach? Come to think of it, Varric is a Dwarf. I thought all dwarves have a religion all on their own? Would people even believe such a story written by a Dwarf?_ "Herald, we are getting close. I can see Leliana's scouts in the distance." Cassandra mentioned, pointing ahead at a cluster of large pointed rocks. In deed, standing between these rocks were a handful of scouts, armed with bows and arrows, taking watch at the core of the Breach. Once we had arrived to the scout's side, a young scout ran to our side to inform us of the situation. "I have news from the Spymaster, Seeker." Cassandra nodded to the scout. "Report." She spoke, asking for him to continue. "There are no demons in the vicinity, nor Venatori. The mages sent by the Grand Enchanter are already in position to provide support for the Herald. However, there is one thing to be of notice. There is a large rift, hovering high in the path of the Breach's core. We have our arrows aimed, in case of any demons emerge, yet none have been breaking through. We are standing guard, just in case." Looking over at me for confirmation, Cassandra nodded once again. "Thank you, scout. Please return to your position after telling Leliana that we had arrived." Saluting us simply, the scout sent a soft prayer for each of us before returning to the Spymaster. "Looks like we have to get rid of that rift first. We've been through many of them as is. It shouldn't be a problem." Varric mentioned, walking confidently with his hands behind his head. "It'd be wise not to over achieve such confidence, Child of the Stone. The scout said the rift was too out of reach, yet did not gain access for demons to travel through. Anything is possible at this point. We should all keep our guard up." Solas reminded each of us. "Solas is right. We must not relent until the Breach has been sealed once and for all." Cassandra openly agreed as she led the way in front of me.  
  
Glancing around the distorted terrain of what was left for the Temple, the large pointed rocks stood still with pulsing green waves, most likely coming from the Breach itself. Add to that, as we had continued walking the long path, we had noticed red lyrium growing from the rocks. "Why would there be red lyrium here of all places?" I asked, passing by one of the accursed crystal, ignoring the rhythmic hue that echoed from its veins. "I don't know, Smiles. But what ever you do, don't touch it. That stuff is evil." Varric replied. I could tell he hated this red lyrium for good reason. Though, I sensed a backstory behind it as well. _I will have to ask him about it one day._ "Now is the hour of our victory. Bring forth the sacrifice." A deep male voice literally echoed from the entire area, as if spoken through a megaphone. The moment we heard this unknown voice, each one of us stopped in our movements to look at each other. "Please tell me I wasn't the only one who heard that?" I asked my friends worriedly. Cassandra, shaking her head, turned to confront Solas. "What was that we just heard?" Frowning at this utter confusion, Solas walked in between us, tightening his grip onto his staff. "By my guess, the one who possibly created the Breach. The explosion which destroyed the Temple must have created some sort of look into the memories planted in the area. If we listen intently, we may find out more of who is behind all of this."   
  
Continuing on our walk, we listened for this foreign voice, awaiting for immediate answers, but will most likely find more questions instead. That was what I expected at least. But not this. "Keep the sacrifice still." The male voice commanded, followed by an elderly female voice responding in fear, "Someone! Help me!" Instantly, Cassandra gasped in realization. "That was Divine Justinia's voice! I don't understand. This male said she is to be a....sacrifice?! No. She can't be dead!" Running ahead of us in disbelief, I followed behind Cassandra, lost in thought. There was something about these echos that seemed...familiar. But how? That doesn't make sense. No matter, I still walked on, determined to put this all to an end. But when I arrived at the pit which held the large rift, I stood in shock as my own voice echoed over all of us. "What is going on here?" My voice asked after the Divine's cry repeated once again. All eyes were on me even as Cassandra confronted me with undeniable confusion written all over her face. "The Most Holy called to you...but.." I could see that Cassandra was trying to connect the dots about this mystery, as well as I. Yet, no matter how much any of us could try to understand any of this mess, the mark on my hand started to react to the rift above us.   
  
Shining a green hue around us, the rift reacted with my body, creating a small image of the Divine Justinia, hovering above us with her arms stretched out in the form of a crucifix. She looked terrified and in pain as she cried out for desperate help. The image continued, revealing me, in my true human form, running towards the Divine, confused shock embracing my features. "What is going on here?" My ghostly image asked, reaching the Divine in time. "Run while you can! Warn them!" The ghost image of the Divine responded to my imaged self, straining with each word as she suffered in pain. Yet before my ghostly self could reply, a long slender form shrouded in darkness loomed over both of the female images, pointing at my image with a long pointed finger. "We have an intruder," The male voice observed before continuing in an annoyed tone. "Kill the girl." Unfortunately, as fast as we had begun watching the image of the past unfold before us, the image shone brightly, instantly reverting itself back to reality with a snap. Approaching me from my side, Cassandra placed her hands on my shoulders, placing a tight hold on me as she spoke. "You _were_ there! Who was that? Who attacked?! And the Divine, is she...? Was this vision true? What were we seeing?" I shook my head quickly as I spoke. "I-I don't know! This makes no sense. There is no way I could have been here! I'm from Earth, remember?!" Though Cassandra would not let me go. Instead, her hold on my shoulders tightened as she released one hand to point at the rift. "Then how do you explain what we just saw?!" Once again, I shook my head. "I don't _know_ , Cassandra! Why are you so quick to not believe me? I thought you trusted me?" I felt heartbroken, being accused instantly like this.  
  
Coming to my aid, Varric tried pushing Cassandra off of me as Solas placed a gentle hand on both of our shoulder's. "We can discuss what may have happened later. For now, take a look." He mentioned, gazing up at the rift above us. "This rift is not sealed, but it is closed... albeit temporarily. I believe with the mark, the rift can be opened and then sealed properly and safely. However, opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side." Roughly pushing herself away from me, Cassandra removed her sword from its sheath, facing the rift with anger in her eyes. "That means demons will come through. Everyone, stand ready!" Taking a moment to catch my breath, I stand back to back with Varric, armed with my staff as I look to everyone. From the scouts to my own little group, we all stood ready to begin this challenge. Lifting my hand up to the rift, I felt the green warp link to my left hand, opening the rift with a loud piercing shrill into the air as a giant demon emerged from the rift.  
  
"It's a Pride demon! Everyone, beware of his magic! Soldiers! Tear his barrier down!" Cassandra ordered to the nearby soldiers. This Pride demon, from what I have heard, is the most strongest of all types of demons. The demon stands up to fifteen feet tall, has eyes like a spider and towers over all with strength and magic. He is widely known for his spells in lightning and of barriers. Our battle with this enormous beast took much of our precious time. Many of our scouts and soldiers got flung aside. I couldn't tell if our people were just injured or...worse. But even so, we still fought on. By the time we had gotten the demon to his knees, I overheard Cassandra shouting at me to focus my attention on the rift. Nodding to her command, I face the floating green crystal and lift my left hand to its magic, putting my energy into its hold to instantly shatter the rift to pieces. My destruction of the rift sent a backlash against the large demon which came from it, eating away the remains of the Pride demon's life. Panting heavily, I lean against my staff as I look back up to the sky.  
  
Looming over our heads in the motion of a reverse hurricane, the Breach taunted our very existence. Almost as if it were waiting for its final moment to take place. Sensing someone walk near me, I listened as Solas began to direct the mages in our service. "Mages! Focus your energy to your Herald. Let your energy flow through you. Send your magic to aid your Herald. Together, we can surpass this threat!" Taking in a deep breath, I closed my eyes as I felt the mages energy wrap itself around me. I don't know how they do it, but it had a comforting warmth. In fact, it reminded me of my mother, hugging me as a child. The safety in my mother's embrace. Opening my eyes, I faced the dreaded sky with a determined glare. Lifting my left marked hand once again, I allowed the mages' magic to channel through me, strengthen my hold against the Breach. Little by little I could feel the Breach weaken as I pushed more pressure against the sky. All until a final blast of ethereal waves washed over all of us, causing me as well to collapse to the ground. Gasping in fear, I sensed Cassandra rush to my side, lifting me up to gaze at the now clouded sky. No more green turbulent swirls threatened Thedas. All that remained was the grey pillows of clouds dressing the sky, presenting itself as an epilogue to a storm on its way. Panting lightly by my side, Cassandra look at me with an excited smile gracing her lightly scarred face. "You did it."  
  
The moment we had returned to Haven, night had already welcomed us to the gates. As well as laughter and loud music strolling through the trees. Entering through the gates, various soldiers shared a welcoming dance with the mages. Out of the corner of my eye, Sera and Iron Bull were singing along with the Charger's song, knocking their drinks together along the campfire and chugging their mugs in sync. I knew I should have been out there with everyone but I just wanted to watch. Crouched down into the soft snow pile next to the Chantry doors, I watched the merriment of the townsfolk blossom around me. "Solas says the Breach has officially vanished. The Heavens are scarred, but no longer a threat." Cassandra's voice moved towards me from behind. Looking up to the female Seeker, I noticed she wore a smile, but once she approached me, she gazed at me sadly. "Herald, I... I wish to ask for your forgiveness. I shouldn't have turned on you like that. I was weak. I heard the Divine's voice and I...panicked. I couldn't-." "Cassandra. It's okay. Really. I get it." I replied with a gentle smile. "I'd probably react the same way too, if I were in your shoes. But, Cassandra, may I ask you something?" With a nod, she kneeled down beside me, allowing the soft pile of snow to brush against her metallic boots. "What is it, Herald?" She asked. "You saw that vision, right? The me that was in there... I was human. I was my _real_ self. How can I be in two places at once? It..doesn't make sense. And that male voice. I probably should have told you this but...it feels familiar. But I don't know who it is." Looking at me in shock, Cassandra inched a bit closer, interested in our topic. "I do not know what it is you did, Herald, but you definitely intervened in that man's plot. He was using the Divine as a sacrifice and then you showed up. You changed something." She took a moment to think before she looked at me with a smile. "You are _still_ changing things. The Breach is gone but we are still receiving reports of rifts appearing. We will also have to deal with this Venatori at some point. However, for the moment, I believe everything is going to be calm."  
  
Or so we thought. The moment Cassandra had finished her little speech, a constant, fearful, ringing of a bell roared on, gaining everyone's attention. Standing up with a start, Cassandra and I both looked towards the gate, where the ringing was coming from. "What is going on? Are we under attack?" She asked, holding the hilt of her weapon close. "Cassandra, look!" I point ahead, towards the forest path. Within the far distance, an ever growing line of flames walking in sync were seen marching towards our base, humming through the darkness of the trees with a low sound of a horn. "Come with me, Herald. We must hurry to the gates. Cullen must have a report in about what is going on." Nodding after listening to Cassandra's order, I grabbed my staff from the side of a pillar and began running after my female friend to the gates. Once we had arrived, Leliana and Josephine were also there, helping direct a few people away from the gates for safety. "Cullen, what is going on?" I asked once we had approached. "We had received a report from a single scout. Apparently an angry horde is headed our way." "Under what banner?" Josephine asked. "None." Cullen replied, earning himself a confused look from the Antivan woman. "None?" She asked. "We must do something now before people get harmed."  
  
 **BANG BANG!** Startling each of us with a loud smacking sound against the thick doorway next to us, a voice emerged from behind the gates. "I can not get through to help. You must open the door!" A very familiar voice pleaded from the other side. Running to the gate, I lifted the lock and pushed the doors open to allow Cole inside of Haven. "Cole! You're alive! I thought you ascended back into the Fade after we had walked through that portal." I ran to the scarecrow man, hugging him in a friendly embrace. Though he was silent for a split moment to assess this awkward moment, soon enough, Cole placed his hand on my shoulder, pulling away lightly to look at me with a tilted tap of his head. "I'm fine. But soon, you will not be. Soon you be hurt, like him." Speaking in riddles again, Cole took a step back to reveal Chancellor Roderick kneeling into the snow, clutching his bleeding side roughly as he would try to stand. Coming to his aid, Cole lifted the struggling man up into a standing position to wrap the older man's arm over Cole's shoulder. "He was coming to warn you of the approaching horde. The enemy is being led by a man called the Elder One. Do you know him? He's knows you. You took his mages from him and for that, he is not happy. He comes to kill you." Pointing to the horde in the distance, Cole directed all of our attention to a tall, slender figure standing on top of a heavy boulder. Though I had never met this Elder One before, I remembered his silhouette. This was the same figure we all saw at the Ruins of the Temple of Sacred Ashes.   
  
Sensing movement behind me, I looked over my shoulder to see Cassandra approaching. "So this is the elder one, but who is that beside him?" She asked, referring to the middle aged man standing next to the Elder One. The man portrayed immense pride and wore a heavy suited armor, dressed in red lyrium. Though, in comparison to his leader, the Elder One had an even more disturbing look. The man himself looked completely distorted with red lyrium literally growing out of his malformed body. _Just what the heck is this guy?_ Approaching from my side, Cullen unsheathed his blade as he spoke in reply to Cassandra's question. "That is Samson. I know that man. That...idiot! He must have been seduced by this Elder One's use of red lyrium. The man was a Templar but he was forced to put down his blade because of his addiction to lyrium. The fact that he is here now, with this Elder One, can only mean that he's in new supply. Shit! His army is getting closer. Cassandra, Herald. I'm afraid we will have to go into battle. There are a few battlements sent in from Orlaisian nobles. Though they will take time to load. I already have soldiers preparing the trebuchets. I will head to the trebuchet on the far end of the road. Gather who ever you will need to present aid, Herald. We will need all the help we can get!"   
  
I nodded to our Knight Commander, watching him run along with a select few of soldiers. "Herald, I would like to assist you against our foe. As for the others, I saw Iron Bull and his Chargers aiding the civilians towards the Chantry. I don't think we'd have enough time to run back to ask for his help." Cassandra informed me, tightening the straps of her shield onto her forearm. Lifting my own staff off of its hold on my back, I turned toward the Seeker as I questioned her. "Who is the closest?" Glancing around, Cassandra answered. "I can see Sera and Varric over on the ledge to our right. They seem to be counting their arrows. I remember passing by Solas as we made our way to the gates. I'm sure he is nearby. Dorian and Vivienne are guiding the mages to a higher stand point, closer to the mountain path. I believe they wish to provide aid at a distance. A plan of which I agree with. As for Blackwall, I believe he had volunteered in helping Cullen and his soldiers." Nodding slowly, I contemplated on my options as I stared at our incoming attackers. _We don't have much time. I'll just have to grab the closest ones and have someone tell the others to protect the civilians._ "Alright. You go grab Varric or Sera, I'll go find Solas." Nodding in agreement to my command, Cassandra dashed in the direction of our archers while I moved into the opposite direction.  
  
"Solas!" Crying out over the growing crowd of civilians running up the hill, I searched frantically for my Elven friend. Luckily, he found me sooner than I had thought. "Lethallan, I'm here!" Rushing to my side after helping someone move some crates out of the way, Solas joined me as we ran back to the gates. I filled him in on what we know of our enemy as a small rain of flaming arrows began to fly towards us from the forest. "We must hurry." Grabbing my right hand, Solas quickly led me towards the gates. From the feel of his pulse, I could tell that he was anxious about the situation. Yet, for some reason, I noticed a hidden look of sadness in his eyes. _Why? I...I don't understand._ Returning to the front of the gates, we joined up with Cassandra and Varric. "Sera didn't want to come?" I asked as we joined with the group. Shaking his head, Varric replied, "Nope. She said she'll provide support from the rear. So, I see my thoughts of red lyrium being a pain in my ass is proving itself right. What are we going to do first?" Looking around, I notice the trebuchet that Cullen had referred to earlier. "Our soldiers will need our help. Look, the enemy is almost here! Come on, let's get to the leading trebuchet."  
  
In any normal mind from Earth, the term 'trebuchet' would probably won't strike as a normal word. It'd raise more questions rather than answers. In fact, I had to read up on _a lot_ of books of Thedas' cultures, political ideas and all other sorts of boring ho-ha. As much as I despised it, Josephine made me do it. Now that I think back on it, I'm glad I read up on this stuff. I never would have realized that a 'trebuchet' was a intensely large wooden contraption made to fling huge rocks at a target. If humans on Earth had anything like that, it'd be a catapult, I believe. Though when we arrived at the northern most trebuchet, I instantly became the center of attention with the soldiers. "Herald, thank the Maker you're here. We have incoming from the northern road but our trebuchet is not yet ready. We have it aimed but not armed. We need your assistance!" A female soldier informed us as we each held our weapons close. "Right. In that case, we'll keep the enemy off of the weapon. Do what you can to get it armed." Within a split minute, our soldiers began gathering materials right as our enemies rushed towards us with swords and _the actual fuck!? They all have red lyrium growing out of them! That one even has giant red claws! What the heck did this Elder piece of crap DO to these people?!_  
  
Our battle with these...red templars drone on for an hour in a half. Luckily, our injuries were light and the trebuchet was able to launch successfully. The ammo loaded into the large wooden catapult flew straight into the mid range of a far mountain. The impact caused the snow to collapse upon the reinforcements from approaching in the north. Which is good, but apparently, we were still having problems coming from the west entrance. "Come on! The trebuchet in the south isn't firiging. I've got things settled here. You go see what is going on!" The female soldier requested as she began winding up her weapon. Nodding in agreement, I rushed to the south, ready to defend our troops once again. However, when we arrived, a horrible scene of red templars crushing the bodies of our dead soldiers played before our eyes. "Strengthen your focus, Lethallan. Our soldiers' deaths will not be left in vain. Correct?" Looking up at Solas, I nod, fighting back my threatening tears before charging towards the enemy for yet another long battle.  
  
 _I am so sorry. May peace be with you....where ever you ascend to._ Sending a silent prayer over our dead soldiers, I felt a tap on my side lightly, interrupting my thoughts. Looking over to my dwarven archer, Varric frowned in response before he cleared his throat, speaking softly to me. "Sorry to interrupt, Smiles, but we're not done yet." Motioning over to the trebuchet, Varric helped tend to Cassandra's wound on her leg as I walked over the dead bodies of our enemies, making my way up the wooden planks of the trebuchet. When we had arrived to this spot, we found out that before our soldiers became decimated, they were able to arm the weapon fully. All that was left for the weapon was for it to be aimed at the mountain. Reaching for the lever, I struggled to turn the round mechanism, that is until I felt Solas' hands over mine. Looking over my shoulder, I felt his breath against my neck as he nodded toward me. "Let me help." He offered. Trying to ignore my embarrassment, I, along with Solas' aid, managed to turn the lever completely, aiming the large device to the mountain. With one more forceful pull, we were able to fire the rock to the mountain second closest to us. Together with my gang, we smiled softly as a few of our soldiers raced to our side, wanting to watch the new avalanche bury the remainder of red templars from coming any closer to Haven.  
  
Loud cheers echoed from our surviving military as the forest became shrouded into an enormous blanket of snow. A few claps and open congrats bounced from one person to the other as we celebrated our victory. Though our festivities came to a crushing end as an enormous creature flew over our heads, spitting giant balls of fire at our trebuchet, causing our weapon of choice to shatter into large splinters to pierce random innocents to their last breath. I avoided the impact by jumping into a ditch of snow, but when I looked up, my excitement froze instantly as I saw the beast flying in circles over our Haven. "W...Wha....is that?" My voice barely spoke above a whisper. Though, my question couldn't be answered as I felt Cassandra rush to my side and pull me up by my arm. "We have to go back! The flames are getting closer!" Gulping a terrible lump down roughly, I force a nod as I retreated back to the gates with my friends. Though, for a minute, I had to ask Cassandra to help destroy a stack of debris from a doorway for Harrit to retrieve something he desperately needed. I wanted to wait for him to join us, but Varric pushed me along to meet up with Cullen at the gate.  
  
"Come on, get in!" Chanting at any survivors that ran through the gate, Cullen held the doors open until we reached him. Once inside Haven safely, Cullen closed and locked the gate behind us. Though, no matter how well defended the gate was, there was little hope it could provide against that strange ugly flying beast. "Cullen, what the heck _is_ that thing?!" I asked, or more appropriately shrieked, at the Knight Commander, fear obvious in my voice. "A dragon, by the look of it." He answered, shaking his head in grief. "D...dra...dragon....oh shit..." I stuttered, looking to the ground beneath my feet. "No, you're wrong. That's impossible! There is no way another Blight has ensued! There have been no sights of a darkspawn army anywhere!" Cassandra retorted with disbelief. "I never said it was an Archdemon, Seeker! I said a dragon. And by the look of it, it's corrupted. Just as those damn templars.." He answered back, anger dripping from his voice. "W-wait. I don't know what a Blight or Archdemon is but are you saying that dragon is infected by the red lyrium too? Ugh I don't get _any_ of this! What is causing all of this to happen?" I wanted to ask thousands of questions, but we had no time. The dragon raged on above our heads and we couldn't just sit still to discuss this mess. "Now isn't the time. We must take refuge in to the Chantry. It might just be the only thing to hold against that...thing!" Cullen commanded.  
  
Racing to the Chantry while avoiding fireballs from the sky as well as random attacks by the red templars was quite a chore. The moment we ran up the first set of steps toward the bazar of town, I instantly heard cries for help from our right. "Hey! Someone is in trouble!" Varric shouted, aiming Bianca at a group of red templars fighting a female soldier. _Wait, no. I know that woman. Her name_ _is Lysette. She is a Templar who wished to follow behind Cullen. She must have taken this route to help the civilians!_ "Hang on, Lysette!" I shouted, joining her battle with my friends by my side. Together we were able to push the enemy back and even struck a few down into the snow. Huffing heavily, Lysette thanked us before racing to help more of the wounded. Continuing back onto our path, we encountered more enemies blocking our way before I heard muffled screams coming from a burning house. Looking around, I finally found the house, but struggled as the door would not open. "Damn it!" I kicked the door roughly, with no success. "Allow me, Herald." Cassandra held her shield to her chest before she literally charged for the door like a wild bull. With sufficient ease, Cassandra was able to tear the wooden door off of its hinges, granting us access into the burning house. Instantly, I could see Seggrit crouched underneath a large wooden plank, crushing his leg by its weight. Grunting in frustration, Seggrit held his hand out toward me, a pleading look plain on his face. "H-Herald..." He spoke with a hoarse voice. I ran to his side and nodded with Cassandra as she positioned herself by the plank. "This is going to hurt, Seggrit. But you're going to have to deal with it until you get to the Chantry." Nodding in understanding, the older man grit his teeth before I told Cassandra to go ahead. With such haste in her movements, Cassandra was able to lift up the wooden plank up and off of Seggrit's bleeding leg, hoisting the heavy hazard over her head and out of the way as she kicked it against the burning wall. "Unh! T-Thank you, Herald. Seeker. I can make it from here. It only pressured my leg. Don't mind the blood." Seggrit praised us as we led him out of the burning building.  
  
"We must hurry! The dragon is starting to fly lower!" Solas reminded us as we each ran up the next set of steps. Though, our journey had to once again be put on hold as I noticed someone crying out for help. "Where is that coming from?" I run towards the sound and gasp as I find Flissa, the bartender, crushed completely under a pile of debris inside of the tavern. "Flissa!" I shouted, dashing towards her. "Just hang on! I'll get you out!" Through her fear, Flissa nodding quickly as I began pulling the heavy debris off of her body. "Shit! Smiles, you better hurry it up! More red templars are coming over!" Varric shouted, firing one of Bianca's arrows at a new target. "R-Right!" Though, no matter how quick my movements were, I still couldn't move the largest piece of debris off of the woman. I tried pushing and lifting, but to no avail. I considered the possibility of shouting for Cassandra to rush over here to help me out, but I knew she was fighting alongside Varric. _Damn it. What do I do?!_ "Lethallan!" Solas' feared voice pulled me to my senses, bringing my attention above my head. I heard loud creaking sounds. _W..What?_ My heart skipped a beat at this visual premonition looming over me right as I felt Solas lift me up from Flissa's pleading movements to yank me out of the tavern. Right as the flaming roof collapsed completely over our bartender. "N..No! Flissa!!" I shouted, wanting to free myself from Solas' grasp. However, he was still too much stronger than I, and he kept his hold on me as he spoke. "We don't have time! I know you tried your best, lethallan, but you don't have time to dwell on it!"  
  
 _What would have happened if I had Cassandra to help? Flissa would still be alive. I know Solas told me not to think about it right now but I can't help it. I had her in my grasp!_ "Help!" "Oh Maker, please! Help us!" Two voices ripped me of my thoughts, causing me and my group to look over towards the apothecary. "Two voices this time?" Varric muttered, watching the Dragon sweep over our heads in a menacing trait. "Come on!" I shouted, determined to save these two people. Rushing up the steps, Adan and Minaeve caught my attention easily. They both were stuck underneath a pile of large pots. _Who the hell put those there?!_ "Hang on! We're here!" I retorted as I ran towards them. However, the dragon beat me to them. Devastating in living form, the dragon dived toward our location and fired a couple of fireballs at the pots, lightening each of them ablaze. One by one the pots reacted in a deadly chain reaction. I barely had the chance to even tend to one person before all of the pots exploded right before my eyes. The blast effected us too, knocking each of us back down the stairs. "U...ugn...." Struggling in my position on the snow, I lifted my weakened body up, glancing hesitantly to the dead burning bodies that nestled above us. "G.....God..." My eyes begged to release their stress as I, once again, let these innocent live fade instantly. "Herald!" Cassandra tried reviving my attention, grabbing onto my shoulder roughly. "I know you wish to mourn but we must return to the Chantry!" Nodding in broken movement, I slump in her guidance as we turned into the direction of the Chantry.  
  
"Damn these beasts! There are too many!" One more voice echoed from a set of trees nestled next to the Chantry. Fighting against a large horde of red templars stood the Inquisition's requisition officer, Threnn. In our distance, I could tell she was heavily wounded. _Not this time...!_ Making a silent promise into my heart, I clutched my staff tightly as I dashed for the enemy. My friends and I wasted no time n providing support for our officer. "Ugh. Thank you everyone. I did not expect you to lend me aid. I'll meet you in the Chantry." Successful from our battle, we raced into the Chantry doors, following behind Threnn. The moment we entered inside the Chantry, Cullen locked the doors behind us. "Damn it! Haven is over run with red templars and the town itself is on fire. Our forces have diminished greatly. We have no defense against that fucking dragon! We can't even attempt at escaping. I don't know who this Elder One is but he has definitely won in destroying Haven." "The Elder One isn't here for Haven. He is here for _her."_ Cole explained, looking up after helping the Chancellor sit in a chair. "Me?" I asked. "Why me?" Standing up from attending to the Chancellor's wounds, Cole walked over, standing next to Cullen as he replied to my confusion. "You stole his mark. It was an accident, a trip into his plan, a blasphemous falter in the hands of fate. The Elder One despises and obsesses over the Herald of Andraste." Turning my gaze to the floor, I couldn't help but to reflect on those we had lost. _All of those people died...because of me. That damn Elder One... He killed them just to get to me!_   
  
Suddenly, an abrupt cough came from the Chancellor, earning all of our attention onto him. Cole quickly kneeled to the elder man's side as Chancellor Roderick moved into his seat, wishing to speak to us despite his fatal wounds. Watching his every movement, Cole nodded to the older man before looking over to me. "Yes. That could work. He would like to speak to you." Tilting my head lightly, Cullen and I looked at the Chancellor as he struggled in his seat. "There...there is a path. It is hidden from older times. She must have shown me. Andraste must have shown me to lead you. I know I will not be long for this world. But....Herald... Let me guide you to safety." Cullen looked over at me as he stood lost in thought. "If the path is still available to us, it may turn into a possibility. But the Elder One and his dragon will most likely find us. Someone will have to be a diversion while the Chancellor leads us and the surviving civilians." Cassandra stood next to me, confronting Cullen about this debate. "If this is to be our only option, then so be it. But who will be the diversion?" "Me." I spoke, looking to the both of them with a determined frown. "Lethallan, are you serious?" Solas asked, standing behind me. I looked up at him, nodding. "I'm not going back to Earth. I know that now. I'll never see my mother ever again. I'm suppose to be some Herald, a savior, for these people. I've already let them down, Solas. If this stupid Elder One wants me, he can have me." Solas' concern look in his eyes flashed to one of annoyance instantly after hearing me speak. "I understand your mix of emotions towards the loss of life here in Haven but you are suggesting at throwing away your life. You are the only one who can seal the rifts made by the Breach. We can not lose you too." I returned his glare with one of my own. "What I do with my life is _my_ choice, Solas! I don't want to die either but I can't just let him win. If I am destined to save these people, the least I can do is try. He wants me, Solas. I'm sick of cowering in fear. Glare at me all you want. I'm going." Silent echoed inside the long hall of the Chantry. I ignored all of the stares from the survivors and of my companions that stood a fair distance. "Perhaps...you will find a way out?" Cullen, most definitely trying to divert from our feuding confrontation, spoke meekly. Waving his hand up to the civilians, Cullen motioned to his remaining soldiers to start gathering up the wounded to follow behind Chancellor Roderick. Sighing deeply, Solas began to speak. "If that is your wish, then I will be by your side." Nodding in agreement, Cassandra stood by my side, placing her hand on my shoulder lightly. "As will I." A soft sigh escaped Varric as he shook his head back and forth. "What shit have I gotten myself into this time?"  
  
 _I know what I had said must have been the worst things to say, but it came from my heart. I can't just turn away from this. Though, I must admit, it warms my heart knowing that my friends still wanted to be by my side in all of this._ Standing outside of the Chantry, each one of us listened as the doors were locked behind us. Staring in front of us, every single house, hut and carriage burned before our eyes. Our memories were here. Our laughter, the songs, the people we met. All gone. How can something like this happen? Taken from us in the blink of an eye. Releasing a heavy sigh from my lips, I looked on as a group of red templars made their way towards us. "Cullen said there was a trebuchet left for us to the left of the village, right?" I asked, ignoring the red threat rushing towards us from the debris of the fallen tavern. "Yes. It should be passed the bazar." Cassandra replied, lifting her sword in front of her. Nodding in understanding, I turn my focus onto the red templars. After our brief battle with the enemy, we ventured out to the remaining trebuchet, all the while dispatching numerous fiends that intended to block our path. Luckily, we were able to make it to the trebuchet safely. Even better, there was no one in our way of the weapon. "Quickly! We must aim the trebuchet before the dragon notices!" I shouted, running straight for the weapon.  
  
However, the moment I started twisting the lever, red templars starting climbing in from the fence. "Herald, keep turning the lever! We will back you up." Cassandra informed before charging after a large red templar. "R-right." Taking in a deep breath, I returned my attention to the trebuchet, putting all of my strength into turning the lever. I listened to my friends fighting as I maintained focus on the weapon. It was honestly difficult to keep myself from helping them. Though I knew they needed to do this, just as I need to. But after I had gotten the trebuchet aimed halfway, a giant creature of red lyrium entered into the fray. "Oh God.." Rolling my eyes, I release myself from the weapon to strike the giant lyrium monster with my lightning attacks. The beast would not hold back with any of our attacks. A few times, he would punch one of us into the wall, or would erect a strong barrier. Time ticked away as we struggled to defeat this giant beast of a man, yet somehow, we succeeded. Huffing by my side, Cassandra pointed at the trebuchet, asking me to finish aiming the device. Answering to her call, I ran back to the trebuchet and continued turning the lever. Yet, the moment I finished locking the device into place, another attack made by the dragon clashed between all of us. The blast was enormous, separating myself from my friends.  
  
"Herald! Where are you!?" Cassandra's worried voice bounced over the wall of flames. Coughing lightly, I stood up from my collision with the snow to wave at Cassandra's silhouette. "I'm fine! Just get out of here! I'll deal with the weapon!" Unfortunately, the intense waves of the burning wall grew higher, making it far too difficult for me to listen to Cassandra's voice. All I could do was return my attention to the weapon. That is, until I noticed a long slender figure slowly emerging from the wall of fire. _The Elder One..._ I cringed lightly as the disturbing man came closer, glaring at me with pure hatred. "Pretender. You stole your way into a plan made for the heavens for over a thousand of years and dare to take what is not made for your puny hands. I _will_ take back the Anchor." Stepping back from the tall bony monster of a man, I stared up at him with utter confusion plain on my face. "A-Anchor?" Slowly, I came to realize what he was talking about. Before I could vocally reflect on my thoughts, the Elder One instantly grabs my left hand, pulling me along with his hold to lift my entire body off of the ground. I hovered by his vicious grasp groaning desperately as I struggled to free myself from his clawed hand. Within his hold, the Elder One summoned a painful trap of red energy upon my left hand, causing me to shriek in pain. "Tch." Most likely annoyed by his display of magic, he flings my entire body against the wooden trebuchet. My back collides with the large instrument, most likely piercing my skin with splinters as I struggled to pull myself up from the impact. "The mark has become permanent into your body. So be it."  
  
Stepping aside for his enormous dragon to pounce into the snow, greeting my weakened state with a thunderous roar as the beast kneeled by its master's side, the Elder One continued to speak, holding a strange metallic orb in his left hand. The orb definitely looked ancient with its strange intricate swirling designs, yet also looked heavy with the material it was created from. _What...what is...that?_ "You have tainted which is not of yours and have ruined my plans. If I must start again, then I shall. As for you, pretender, you have taken a false title under false pretense for false understandings. You know not what is the will of Corypheus." _Cor...ypheus? Is that his name?_ Narrowing my eyes to this demonic man, I winced as the dragon beside him released a low growl. Corypheus continued speaking in a prideful monologue as the fire surrounding us raged on. _U..ugh..My body hurts..and this son of a bitch is annoying me with his constant chatter. I need to get out of here and fire this weapon. How am I suppose to fire it without either Coryph-douche and his stupid dragon noticing my movements? Wait, what's that?_ Looking over Corypheus' head, in the far distance from the mountain path, I noticed a shimmering red light flying up from the ground. _A flare! That means Cullen and everyone has made it out safely! In that case, I have to act now!_ "Ugh.. You know what, Corypheus? You sure do like the sound of your voice. But that's fine. Listening to you has given me this chance to see you off with a gift." Most likely confused by my words, Corypheus failed to reply back as I quickly kicked the lever of the trebuchet with adrenaline-filled force. Within an instant, the large rocks used as ammo flew over our heads and soared through the sky before landing a powerful impact on the mountain top. Though slowly at first, the avalanche grew as it stamped over Haven. Noticing both the dragon and Corypheus turn to gaze upon the ever growing wave of crushed snow make its way towards us, I took this small hint of a chance to turn my heel and jump down a slope of ice. Riding the ice into a snow bank, I expected the snow to just cushion my fallen. However, my hope for a soft fall did not offer. Instead, the snow collapsed by my weight, sending me straight into a hidden cavern deep beneath Haven's roads.  
  
"Oh...oww...." Groaning from my fall, I slowly lift myself up into a sitting position. _Oh...God.. How did I..get here? Is...this a cavern from under Haven? I wonder if the Chancellor led everybody through here?_ After taking a moment to catch my breath, I struggled to stand. Luckily, with the aid of the frozen wall, I was able to lift myself back up. My movements were definitely slow. My body ached all over and my throat burned with each breath I inhaled. Trying to focus my attention on the matter at hand, I force my body to take a step in front of me, finally walking through the only entrance into the long cavern. After walking for a long ten minutes, I came to realize that these caverns had ledges that dropped from the Chantry basement. _They must have come through here. Good..I should follow._ Taking the lone path, I soon had come to a small opening. Though once I entered, a sudden group of demons emerged from no where. The moment they saw me, each one began to summon different spells, aimed directly for me. "Damn it...Not now.." Irritated by these nuisances, I held my left hand up at these growing pains as I shouted at them. "Leave me alone!" Strange enough, the moment I lifted my hand a weird vibe shone from my mark, causing a swirling vortex above each demon, literally eating each and every single creature from existence. _W..what did I...just do?_ "Ugh.." My voice broke as a weak attempt at breathing left my lips once again. _I don't have time for this.._ I knew I needed to leave this place. And so, I continued walking until I saw a hole, leading to an open expanse of snow, blowing in from the opening.  
  
Stepping out into the blizzard, my teeth chattered loudly as my hands automatically collected themselves around my arms, trying to create warmth within my freezing body. _W-when did a blizzard start? Ugh! Perfect timing, nature!_ Groaning with annoyance at my predicament, I force myself to step into the blizzard, looking around for any type of sign that someone was nearby. But I had found nothing. In front of the frozen cavern, I did manage to find a firepit. However, the ashes were cold, never used. It wasn't until I started walking through the knee deep snow towards the very few trees that I noticed the cry of wolves swimming through the blizzard's constant wind blowing in my ear. To be honest, it was the only soothing thing about this blasted blizzard. But a wolf's howl alone isn't going to bring me safety nor warmth that my body desires. Feeling my body shiver roughly once again, I continued to stroll through the chaos blowing around me. Using the trees, as best as I could, to block the freezing wind from my face, I managed to find two more fire pits. Though, they too were old. _A-Am..I on the wrong path? I..I could have sworn that flare came from this direction.._ Coughing heavily, I felt the burn of frigged air swim into my lungs as I fought to breath once again. _I..I can't do this.. I have to find some place to rest. This blizzard is too much for me by myself.._  
  
Looking around, I find myself narrowing my eyes to the horizon until I notice something odd staring back at me. _Is that..a wolf? It's far too big to be a normal wolf. Its fur looks much darker too. A-and those eyes.. they're blue.. I thought all wolves had icy eyes? This one has such pure deep blue eyes.. It's...memorizing..W-wait..what am I doing? I'm standing in the friggin blizzard.._ Watching the large black furred animal stride closer to me, it kept me in his blue eyes. I gulped a frozen lump in my throat before I spoke softly. "M..Mister wolf..I didn't mean to intrude on your territory. P-p-please...f-forgive me." Was it strange for the wolf to listen to my voice stutter wildly from the chill in the air? If anything, the beast probably assumed I was on a hunt for a pelt or something. "I-I'm not a threat, Mister Wolf." I tried holding my hands in front of me, praying that the wolf wouldn't hurt me. Though, by some dumb luck, the large wolf did not attempt to harm me in any way. Instead, the wolf walked towards the right of the storm, stopping every now and then to look back at me before walking again, only to stop to look once more. He did this repeatedly, finally howling at me once he was in a far distance. _Does he...want me to...follow him?_ No matter how reluctant I was, I eventually decided to follow the large dark beast, holding my arms tightly as the wind found a way to cover my vision. If I held any attempt at finding the survivors, there would have been no hope. This blizzard was too much to handle.  
  
Being led by the large black wolf, I somehow found myself guided to a dank little cave. Despite the still chill lingering in the air, the cave was actually comforting. The walls were made of stone, not ice, thankfully. In a far corner of the cave, a cluster of icicles dripped small droplets of water into a shallow puddle. _At least I have fresh water. And there is even a fire pit in here! And it's still in perfect condition. I wonder if anyone used it recently?_ Walking over to the pit, I shakily hold my hand over the firepit, trying to concentrate on using my magic to create a flame. But my body was too cold and my mind couldn't reflect on the image of fire. Feeling the large black wolf saunter inside the cave, it sniffed the pit before looking at me for a moment. Then, stepping back for a second, the wolf stared at the pit once again. I watched the wolf, confused, until suddenly the pit suddenly produced a medium sized flame. I gasped, jumping back into the stone wall as I looked from the beast, to the fire, and then back to the wolf. "H-h-how? I-I didn't do that!" The wolf ignored my astounded rambling and instead walked over to the opposite side of the cave. I gulped as I watched this strange beast. _I didn't make that flame. Did....did the wolf...? B-but that's impossible! Unless... My clan mentioned something about magic creatures. Either this wolf is possessed by a demon or....but...if that is so, then the wolf would be trying to kill me. Not help me. Then...that means.._  
  
"Fen'Harel?" I asked the wolf, causing the beast to stop in its movements instantly to stare at me with a soft growl. Well, actually, his growl sounded more like a gentle groan. Though, I still couldn't stop myself from talking to the beast. "You...you made the fire...didn't you?" The wolf didn't answer. It just kept staring at me from his side of the flame. "Are you...Fen'Harel?" I asked meekly. The wolf continued to stare at me until he tilted his head down slowly. _I-Is that a yes?_ Gulping lightly, I couldn't help but to ask. "Why are you here?" The wolf blinked slowly, staring at me for a long moment before looking at the fire then back to me. "O-oh. The fire.. Y-you're here to help me?" The wolf blinked once more again before sitting himself onto the icy stone floor. Smiling to the black beast, I nodded to him with gentle approval. "Thank you." My voice may have sounded very hoarse, but I wanted him to at least know I appreciated his help. Stepping over towards the puddle of water, I kneeled down slowly, cupping my hands together and began to drink from the cold water. My hands looked so pale and they were shaking too much. _Are they turning blue? That's not good.._ After sipping from the shallow spring, I hesitantly moved my way to the fire, crouching down into a sitting position to hover my hands over the welcoming heat.  
  
My eyes watched the fire dance before me. I listened to the cackle of the wood that collapsed within the heat. Tiny sparks of orange and red floated in a playful manner as the fire raged in the pit next to me. This small gentle flame was nothing compared to the terror which ensued on Haven. _Haven... Oh God.. Everything happened so fast.. The red templars. That fucking dragon. Corypheus.. I...I couldn't even save those people. They called to me. Pleaded for my help!_ "I let them die.." I spoke to the fire. "Adan, Flissa.. Minaeve. They died because of me. Corypheus came for me. For this stupid mark on my hand.. Haven is gone. Burned to the ground. And how did I react to it? I volunteered to confront him. I told everyone to escape Haven, to find a safe place away from the dragon. I...I... Oh God.. I yelled at Solas.." My eyes finally released its desire to shed its tears as I came to realize the worst I could have done to a friend. "I-I yelled at him. W-what is wrong with me? Solas was only trying to help. I shouldn't have yelled at him. H...He probably hates me for what I did. He was right. I shouldn't volunteer for my death. I should never sacrifice myself to save others. H...How can I ever speak to him again? He'll never want to speak to me again.."  
  
Gasping lightly, I tore my tear-filled eyes from the fire to turn my attention behind me. Feeling a sudden warmth of soft material brush up against me, I blinked away a few tears as I came to notice the black wolf had walked over from his side to lean against my back. "W..What...are you doing?" I hiccupped a soft sob as I questioned the mythical god. As expected, Fen'Harel refused to answer and instead pushed his warm furry body closer to my back. _Is he..trying to comfort me?_ My eyes softened lightly as I felt Fen'Harel's fur brush over my skin. _He's...so warm._ "I must seem silly, huh? I'm really a human, you know. Shouldn't you be helping the elves? Or does it really matter?" I smiled at my own voice, echoing off of the stone walls as the wind outside rushed in motion through the darkness. "Thank you..Fen'Harel. I don't know why the elves think of you as a trickster. Maybe you intend to trick me by leading me into this cave. Maybe not. I don't think I have the right to judge your actions but even so...I still want to thank you. Even you have a reason for your actions. Right?"   
  
Perhaps it was my soft voice bouncing off of the walls that made me drowsy. Or maybe even the crackling of the flame in front of us. But no matter what, my body begged to rest. After the long and horrendous day I had, my body couldn't wait to pass out. Slumping down slowly, as not to disturb Fen'Harel by my side, I somehow managed to rest my body down onto the stone floor, staring at the fire dance for my entertainment. I laid quietly, watching the fire in front of me reflect our shadows against the wall. It was soothing to listen to the fire, to examine how our how bodies nestled beside each other in our shadows and- _Huh? W..wait. His shadows isn't of a wolf. It's a man! He's not just a wolf, then? He's a man with a smooth head, by the look of it. And his ears, so pointy. Fen'Harel is a male elf? N..No way. W-well I guess that makes sense. He is an Elvhen god. I just figured all of the Elvhen gods were animals or something. Well, this is certainly mind blowing._ Silent as ever, I gulped as another wave of sleep loomed over me. I finally decided to close my eyes, submitting myself to the inviting nature of sleep. Even with my eyes closed, I still felt Fen'Harel's warmth wash over me. I even found myself listening to his heartbeat. It was rhythmic, soft yet fast at the same time. It was more comforting than the fire. Listening to his heartbeat was the perfect lullaby to sent me to my sleep.  
  
By dawn, I had awoken to notice the fire had gone out. As well as Fen'Harel. Slumping up from my sleeping position, I lifted myself, yawning and stretching once as I looked around for the wolf. He was definitely no where in sight. However, there was something good about being alone. It gave me the chance to listen to the wind. Or lack thereof, for that matter. Walking over to the entrance of the cave, I had noticed the blizzard had stopped. Turning once to look at my 'camp', I frowned silently to myself. _I...wanted to thank him once more. Or at least see where he would go from here. I suppose it's to be expected from a God. I wonder if anyone would believe me about meeting him?_ Sighing softly at the remains of the campfire, I turn my attention back to the vast snowy plains, I step outside once again, retracing my steps back to find any camp fires. It seems the blizzard had caused the snow to deepen to my thigh. Having major difficulty with walking through the thick snow, I ended up climbing my way up towards the horizon of the mountain. _Perhaps I'd have a better chance at seeing from the top?_ However, even without the wind blistering my vision or freezing my body, I was still extremely weak from the battle. My back was the worse of it all. So even as I struggled up to the top of the path, I couldn't help but to collapse to my knees as I felt the sunlight greet me from the horizon. Along with a set of voices coming towards me with excited haste. _"_ There she is!" Cassandra's voice came to my focus as I felt my body give in to my exhaustion and my vision had decided to give out. My focus began to fade even as I felt numerous strong hands lift me from the snow and my body levitated to an unknown area. I couldn't try anymore. _I just...want to rest..._

 

 


	11. Risen From the Ashes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waking up from the complete disasters that had befallen upon Haven, the young Lavellan had found herself in a pit of remorse and regret. Facing death in every angle, witnessing true bloodshed that was far too much for her to handle. But with her friends by her side and new will set within her heart, Lavellan had to rise from the ashes much like a Phoenix in order to raise the spirits of those around her. Here, her journey truly begins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Phew! I can't believe I still had most of this chapter saved on another site! I'm so glad about that. After getting many compliments on my stories, including this one, about my type of writing style, I just couldn't help myself! I had to write more! I was so excited! So, here ya go! I hope you all enjoy this next chapter! Oh and a little warning for those LavellanxSolas fans out there, you better be excited for the next chapter~! Let's just say, if you snooze, ya lose. ^.~ 
> 
> Terrible. I know. lol Read on, peoples!

"This is unbelievable. How in Andraste's name did this happen?!" "Calm down, Cullen. None of us did not expect this attack to have come." "Cassandra is right. The reports didn't mention a raid by any means." "This attack _might_ have been avoided if Leliana's scouts hadn't returned from their posts so early." "Don't blame me, Knight Commander. I live with my regrets just as much as everyone else." "Enough, both of you. We don't have time to argue over how this happened. Josephine, how is the morale of the civilians?" Listening in from my make shift bed, I ended up lifting myself into a sitting position as I watched the advisors disagree loudly in the center of the camp. Ever since I had weakly stumbled to the surviving camp from the attack on Haven, I had my wounds tended to and had been ordered to rest at the medic's tent. Though my desire for sleep hardly came with open arms. I couldn't help but to listen in on the advisors conversation. Pulling my knees to my chest, I watched as Cullen shouted between Cassandra and Leliana. My own heart hung heavy as I too remembered all of the chaos from hours ago. Too many people died in those flames. I had seen a dragon up close. No fictional book or fantasy-themed movie could ever compare to the reality of confronting a dragon face to face. That corrupted dragon was definitely scary but looked like it was in pain too. I suppose I would be as well if I was corrupted by red lyrium and controlled by some freakish tall man named Corypheus. _W_ _hat kind of name is that anyway? It's almost Biblical. In fact, he even spoke like a God. I wonder...is it possible if he really could be a God? I hope not..._ "You should rest, Herald." Mother Giselle spoke gently as she sat next to me.  
  
Stifling a beckoning yawn, I shook my head simply as I returned my gaze to the bickering gang in front of me. I sighed deeply as I answered the Mother. "They have been arguing for hours.." My voice spoke with a strained voice, but I knew the dark skinned woman next to me could hear just fine. In reply, she smiled softly as she nodded in agreement. "You gave them that luxury. They yell and bicker over this disaster because they have to. Arguing like this is a blessing. It shows that they are alive. They had survived the chaos because of you, Herald of Andraste." Blinking slowly, a gentle sigh escaped my breath once more as I shook my head. "A luxury, huh? It sure doesn't feel like it. No offense, Mother, but...I don't agree with your words. I saw too many people die and...and Corypheus came for me. He destroyed everything....because of me. I see no luxury in my actions if I can't protect the people as they see in me. The people of Haven saw me as a symbol of faith and begged me to help them. Mother Giselle... I can't keep lying to everyone. I'm not some Herald or whatever." Her smile stood still on her face as she spoke once again. "Do you truly believe that? Yes, you are from another world. But you have been guiding us all on a brighter path the moment you had arrived. Your thoughts and beliefs are of your own and you may be filled with complete confusion, but even you can see what these people need. Their faith in you drives them to want, to need, to see the new tomorrow. It does not matter whether you truly are or are not the Herald of Andraste. They still have faith in you no matter what." Tilting my head at her, I asked, "Then what is the point of lying to them? I should just tell them the truth." Shaking her head, the religious woman spoke. "Perhaps now is not the right time. In the moment of disaster and dread, one must hold onto faith in order to survive. Even you must know this, correct? Tell me, m'lady Herald. Based on everything you know of our religion, of this Corypheus, what do you believe?"  
  
In all honesty, I had to think for a long minute about her question. Corypheus is probably some vengeful God. As for the religion of Andraste, I can only think of it as a belief most similar to Christianity. Whether it is true or not is not really my right to decide. "I..Can't quite say. It's not my right to tell someone a lie to boost their confidence in themselves. If they wish to believe me as some Herald, then that is their choice. And, I know why you're asking me this, Mother Giselle. But I just can't find myself to agree with you. Where I come from, actions speak louder than words. Belief in faith is nice and all but in all reality, it's just prayers. The only thing that is going to help make someone see the morning sunlight is based on our actions." Rolling my legs off of the bed, I push myself up to stand as I look down to the Revered Mother. "What these people need right now is hope. But I don't think I can give them any hope.." Leaving the Mother alone, I stroll over to the edge of the open tent, watching each advisor leave to their own tents. Everyone basked in silence, only the cackling of fire and soft murmurs of a handful of survivors could be heard in our camp. Everyone probably felt the fear from the battle. Did they even had any shred of hope left?   
  
Shadows fall  
And hope has fled  
Steel your heart  
The dawn will come  
  
The night is long  
And the path is dark  
Look to the sky  
For one day soon  
The dawn will come  
  
Looking to my side, I stare in shock as I, along with each advisor and villager in our camp stood in silence to listen to Mother Giselle walk out of our tent, singing loudly with her eyes closed. Glancing to the advisors ahead of me, I noticed Leliana smile sadly as she began to join into the song, then Cullen. Add to my surprise even more, the entire camp all gathered around the center of the camp, joining together in smiles and song, completing Mother Giselle's hymn by singing along.  
  
The shepherd's lost  
And his home is far  
Keep to the stars  
The dawn will come  
  
The night is long  
And the path is dark  
Look to the sky  
For one day soon  
The dawn will come  
  
Bare your blade  
And raise it high  
Stand your ground  
The dawn will come  
  
The night is long  
And the path is dark  
Look to the sky  
For one day soon  
The dawn will come  
  
Once they had finished singing, everyone either held their neighbor in a welcoming hug or a pleasant laugh. This song was definitely one to help boost morale and hopes in each person. _Leave it to the Revered Mother to make everyone join together in harmony._ Gasping lightly, I quickly turn my attention behind me as I sensed someone walking up to me. I probably looked silly as Solas approached me. "A word?" He nodded to me, motioning for me to follow. Strolling behind my male elven friend quietly, Solas lead me to an open expanse of the mountain paths. A lone thin pedestal stood in the center of the path, lightening up with a blazing green flame as Solas waved his hand over the stand. Walking up to join him, I stared into the ethereal flame, pondering over how similar it reminded me of the flame I shared with Fen'Harel. "I wished to speak with you, Lethallan. It was highly lucky we had found you. The blizzard was unexpected." I nodded with a frown before replying. "That wasn't the only thing unexpected..." Solas echoed my frown with one of his own. "You said that man called himself Corypheus, correct?" I nodded, looking up at him. "He acted like he was some sort of God. But I've never heard of any Elvhen Gods named that before." I spoke curiously. Solas shook his head before speaking, "That is because he is not Elvhen, Lethallan. From my knowledge, the name Corypheus is one of Tevinter. It is a rare and ancient name. I'm afraid to admit, however, that he is believed to be the reason for the birth of darkspawn. Though, this is only an assumption led by the humans." Silence loomed between us before he continued. "There is something else. The orb he carried. It is of our people. It is of Elvhen nature. Do you know what people, humans in this case, would say if they found out that this menacing darkspawn is using an orb of Elvhen culture to create such chaos?" Putting two and two together, I nodded in understanding as I replied. "They would put the blame on our people." Sighing deeply, I couldn't help but to add, "This is ridiculous. Thedas is more racist than my own planet."  
  
Smirking at my comment, Solas shook his head lightly as he stood to my side. "I am pleased that you survived your encounter with the dragon and Corypheus, Lethallan. I was...worried. We all were." I smiled softly at him. "Thanks, Solas. But what are we going to do now? Haven is destroyed and even though everyone is singing together in happiness and hopes, we need to actually...do something. How are we suppose to stand against this guy?" Listening to my concerns, Solas turned his gaze from me to the mountains looming in the distance. "The people of Haven look up to you, Lethallan. It is a blessing to be seen as a guiding light in times of darkness. Despite the unfortunate events we suffered at Haven, we now know what the true threat is. We must find a more stable environment to protect the people." Crossing my arms, I look at him in confusion. "Yeah, but how? We are in the middle of the mountains. We can't exactly build a village or something to protect us against that dragon again. Shouldn't we look for help or something?" Replying with a confident grin, Solas returned his gaze at me over the green flame between us. "That is why we should move forward. Lead the others up north, pass through the mountains. Follow the horizon and you will find a fortified place, ready to arm and protect." "Huh?" I raise an eyebrow at my elven friend, obviously confused by his words. "What makes you so sure about that?" Stepping to my side, Solas replied. "I scoured ahead while you were resting. Have confidence, Lethallan. We live to see another day. Go back and rest. I will inform the Seeker about our plans. Tomorrow will be a long day."  
  
_Long day is quite the understatement, Solas. Ugh._ Though I agree with his wisdom and guidance, I loathed the idea of traversing through the frozen snow to climb through miles and miles of mountainous paths. Using my staff to keep myself from slipping from the deep snow, I managed to help lead the entire camp of survivors through the northern most mountains. We had probably traveled for hours because by the time we even got close to the top of the highest mountain top, the sun was already starting to hide beneath the horizon. Luckily, though, we had finally reached the top, welcoming the sunlight with our presence as we came to face our new home which happened to be... "W-what the? A...A castle?" I stuttered with my mouth agape. I was most definitely in shock as I stood, along with Solas, to view this enormous fairytale contraption loom a safe distance from our position. From where we stood, the castle bathed in the remnants of the sunlight, allowing the welcoming warmth to shine through the sturdy, yet still dilapidated design of the broken bricks and windows. This fortress had definitely seen some years of war. But, seriously, where the heck did this place come from? And who did it belong to in the past? It looks like it hadn't seen the light of day for centuries. Stepping to my side with his staff close to his body, Solas stared at the fortress with pride as he spoke next to me. "Skyhold. I believe with the protection of this place, we will have a stronger chance against the enemy." Gulping a hesitant feeling in my throat, I looked over to Solas with complete shock looming on my face. "I-I don't get it. How do you _know_ of this place?" He shook his head lightly as he replied. "I told you. I scoured ahead while you were resting, remember?" Crossing my arms, I couldn't help but to roll my eyes at him. "Uh huh. It took all of us five hours just to reach this point, Solas. How exactly were you able to see this place from that far? And how do you know its name of all things? I don't see a sign anywhere." Raising an eyebrow at my utter confusion, Solas simply looked at me with a gentle smirk. "Are you doubting me, Lethallan?" In reply, I nodded instantly. "In a way. I'm starting to think I need to keep an eye on you. You're just so much smarter than the average elf, Solas. It's almost scary." He stared at me for a long moment before returning his gaze to the lovely view in front of us. "You flatter me, Lethallan."  
  
Coming to my side from behind me, I sensed Cassandra heft a large sack of perishables over her shoulder as she had approached. She smiled at the view in front of us, a look of relief plastered on her scarred face. "Ah, good. We had arrived. Cullen! We're here! Let the villagers know that we are to descend the slope. It should lead us to the gate." She shouted over her shoulder to the Knight Commander. Taking the time to carefully shovel our way down to the gates, we were lucky to find the gates unharmed from age nor locked. The stone towering palace actually welcomed us the moment we opened the large gates. Instantly we were greeted with warmth of the sunlight and the extremely soothing scent of fresh grass and trees. _Wait, what?_ "There's...no snow here? How?" I asked to no one in particular, but Solas still took the initiative to answer me as he walked in, holding a couple of bedrolls in his arms. "Skyhold has a history, Lethallan. Many clans, soldiers and mercenaries had most likely used this fortress for defense in the past. I would have no doubts that the entire castle has an attachment to the Veil. A barrier of sorts must have been protecting this land for centuries, thus the peaceful wildlife you see before you." "Pffft! Smartass." Sera's voice poked in between us. Turning to greet the female elf, I stifled a laugh as Sera came to join us. She was bundled up with thick layers of blankets and bags, most likely used to keep her warm from all of that snow we traveled through. Solas, however, did not seem amused once she joined us. "I beg your pardon, Sera, but are you not thrilled to be out of the cold?" Rolling her eyes at his disapproval in his voice, Sera stuck her tongue out at him in response. "Oh stuff it, Elfy. So, Herald, what are we going to do now?"  
  
"Um.." Looking around in reply, I too stood confused about our actions. "Well, I think we should get everyone settled in. We don't exactly know what's in this place, right? Maybe we should look around first before doing anything." I mentioned softly. "Already a few steps ahead of you, Herald." Leliana spoke, pointing to a tower a few feet away from us. "I have a few scouts surveying the area. Fiona has also sensed the strength of the Veil surrounding the terrain. What Solas had mentioned is right. The entire place is well protected. Cullen's soldiers are helping set up tents for our injured survivors. Give me a few minutes and I'll be sure to inform you on what is inside the building." Nodding gently, I thanked Leliana for her advice as she walked away to speak with another scout. Just as she had said, minutes ticked away as the scouts examined the place in detail. We learned that most of the building is accessible but there are various rooms that are missing a roof and there are loads of debris everywhere. It seems that Skyhold has definitely been used before. There were still beds and tables to be used in certain rooms. Satisfied with this knowledge, we all decided to begin preparing rooms for people as well as a temporary sick bay in the courtyard, seeing as how various rooms were cut off through debris. By the time most of us were settled in, night had fallen. Considering the fact that most of the rooms were still unavailable, only a handful of us were able to select a room to stay in. I decided to bunk with Sera in the tavern. She was already setting up plenty of giant pillows along the side of the windows in her room. I was actually quite impressed with her room. I honestly never took her as the frilly type of girl. A bit spontaneous, of course, but frilly? Nuh uh. Spending the night in her room was probably a good idea though. Despite how late in the night it was, Sera still found a way, or four, to make me smile. I knew she was doing it out of concern for me. _I must still look depressed after everything that had happened._  
  
Once morning came, I had noticed Sera had left the room but still spared a little note by my head, letting me know that she was asked to help the villagers out with something. She also mentioned that Cassandra was looking for me. Crawling out of my bedroll on the floor, I stretched loudly, got dressed and made my way through the few piles of wood and crates before entering the courtyard. Looking around, I finally noticed the female Seeker, conversing with Leliana, Josephine and Cullen, all with a welcoming smile as they too noticed me approaching. "Good morning, Herald. Did you sleep well? Your wounds are still healing, correct?" Cassandra asked as I walked up to the gang. Smiling softly, I replied, "Thank you for your concern, Cassandra, but I'm fine. I guess I really needed that sleep. Besides, the mages had already tended to the worst of my wounds, right? I'm sure I'll be okay. Sera said you were looking for me. Did you need help with something?" Nodding in approval, Cassandra waved toward me, asking me to follow her up the set of steps. I remembered overhearing the soldiers last night talk about these steps. Apparently they led to the central chamber, connecting each construct together. But the large door leading to the building was barred. They must have spent the entire night removing the blockage from the doorway.  
  
"I would like to apologize in advance for yesterday, Herald. Mother Giselle told us how you couldn't rest due to our argument." Cassandra began, causing me to shake my head. "You know, you tend to apologize too much, don't you think? I appreciate your concern, Cassandra, but it's alright. We were all stressed out over...what happened. I just wish I could have been more of a help yesterday." The female Seeker led me up the long set of steps, speaking to me with confidence as she spoke. "You have done more than enough to help us, Herald. In fact, the advisors and I had come to a conclusion to our argument. We have decided to have a leader. One who can stand as a beacon of hope for the weak. One who can lead us upon the right path. We need someone who has _already_ been leading us." At the top of the stairway, Leliana stood, holding a large, sharp sword, adorned with the Inquisition insignia on the hilt. The sword looked heavy and powerful. However, my attention broke from the sword as I listened to Cassandra's words. "Wait what? Did you find someone to lead your Inquisition?" I asked, earning myself a nod from the Seeker. "You." She answered. "M..Me?" I blinked, confused once again for the umpteenth time. Joining my side, Cassandra pointed to the villagers that stood below us, looking up at us with curious looks on their faces. They were waiting for something. Me, most likely. Which is even more confusing.   
  
Turning to face Cassandra and Leliana, I couldn't help but to ask. "Are you _sure_ this is a good idea? I thought elves weren't seen as a good thing in peoples eyes? Add to that, I'm a mage too." Smiling at my words, Cassandra spoke. "We are well aware of what you are and what you can do. But you have proved yourself more than worthy to lead our Inquisition. Your actions has made many to follow in our footsteps. People speak of you as living protection. Our Herald of Andraste." Returning my attention back to the crowd beneath us, I watched as each civilian reflected the same hopeful gleam in their eyes that had begun to shine within my own. Even the Bull's Chargers stood proudly together, waiting for my answer with approval on their faces. It seemed as if no matter what I'd say to this option, I'd still have people to guide my path. To stand by my side. To walk along side me. _I'm...not alone in this, am I? I already knew I'd probably never return home. This...is my home now. These people barely know me, yet they have accepted me in their life. I'm here to guide them to a brighter tomorrow. It really doesn't matter if I am the Herald or not. I, too, want to see a new tomorrow._  
  
My movements were hesitant, but my resolve was full of determination. With a steady grasp, I held onto the hilt of the extended silver sword, lingering my gaze to the intricate design of the Inquisition's insignia as I contemplated my words. Catching onto a silent, but quivering breath, I turned my attention to the crowd, feeling Leliana and Cassandra's presence behind me as I looked down to notice Josephine and Cullen had joined the fray beneath us. "You are certain you want me to lead the Inquisition? What if I make a mistake? I wouldn't be the only one to suffer the consequences." I asked to the girls behind me. "It is expected in any war. Mistakes will always be made. Lives will always be taken. The number of casualties waver, depending on the leader's guidance." Cassandra answered, continuing, "Whatever the leader decides, we all will follow." She turned her gaze to the crowd, speaking with authority and volume in her voice, "Have our people been told?" Josephine grinned, nodding once as she replied with equal volume, "They have. And soon, the world." Cassandra's attention turned to Cullen, earning his gaze with an approved nod, "Commander, will they follow?" With a confident smirk, Cullen approached the people behind them, "Inquisition, will you follow?" A loud, roaring sound of praise and cheer came in instant reply to the Commander as he continued to ask, "Will you fight?" Added cheers echoed upon the vast land, increasing the beating rush within my blood, pumping a dose of adrenaline throughout my entire body as I stared upon every citizen's excitedly glee. "Will we triumph?" Cullen's voice demanded to the crowd, earning yet another boost of confident roars to reach the skies. With a curious glance to Cassandra, who returned my nervous look with one of pride in her face, I felt the fear and regret drain from my fingertips and instead become replaced with a new found sense of determination, leadership and sheer desire to lead these people. Nay, this _world_ into a peaceful era. _This world has suffered enough. Someone has to set the paths for these people to walk. I have no time to wallow in fears anymore. These people can be afraid for me. I must be the strength for them._  
  
Returning my vision to the Inquisition below me, my grip on the sword tightened as I watched Commander Cullen reach for his own sword, raising it high into the sky, pointed directly at me and shouting to each individual present, "Your leader! Your Herald! Your _Inquisitor_!" Feeling the adrenaline pulse within me, my heart thumped with the audience's contagious vocal stamina as I clenched my hand upon the hilt ever tighter and reflected Cullen's movements with my own. Presenting the Inquisition Blade to the sky, almost as if waiting for the Maker Himself to shine his Blessed Light upon the silver metal, and I listened with a new grin upon my face as the crowd went literally nuts with pure excitement as they watched the birth of a new Inquisitor embrace her new found glory.  
  
Now that I had been 'knighted', as it were, to become the Inquisitor, I had to take more important matters at hand instantly. Walking into the now opened Cathedral with Cullen, Leliana, and Josephine, I gazed upon the rubble and sighed deeply at the mess. Littered in multiple piles were obvious debris from years of constant use. Rocks, dust and wood gathered in multiple corners, either waiting to be reused for construction, or to be tossed away in a garbage heap. But none the less, we continued walking down the faded red carpet to the center of the room, contemplating openly over our options. "So this is where it begins." Cullen mumbled, examining the debris as he stepped over a broken board of wood. "It began in the courtyard. This is where we turn that promise into action." Leliana replied, walking by my side. Josephine tapped her candle, now lit, into the clipboard's candle holder before she too replied, "But what do we do? We know nothing about this Corypheus except that he wanted her mark."   
  
I pondered lightly over what Josephine said. Thinking back to Solas' speech earlier, I couldn't help but to ask, "Solas mentioned that Corypheus' name is of Tevinter origin. And I know nothing of Tevinter Gods, but he acted as if he wanted to restore Tevinter. Could this be the start of another war?" Josephine answered, "Tevinter is not the Imperium of a thousand years ago. What Corypheus yearns to 'restore' no longer exists. Though, they would shed no tears if the South fell to chaos, I'm certain." I blinked slowly, taking in this amount of information carefully, "Could he really become a God of Tevinter though?" Leliana frowned at my question before speaking, "He is willing to tear this world apart to reach the next. It won't matter if he's wrong." "What if he's not wrong?" Cullen asked, continuing, "What if he finds some other way into the Fade?" "Then he gains the power he seeks or unleashes catastrophe upon us all." Speaking of catastrophe.... "What about his dragon? You all mentioned it could be an Arch demon? Whatever that is. But it sounds bad. Do you really think it's whatever that is?" Leliana shook her head lightly, "If the dragon _is_ an Archdemon, it would mean the beginning of another Blight." I blinked, an obvious look of confusion on my face as she smiled warmly at my strange look. "When you have time, try speaking to Warden Blackwall about Blights and Archdemons. I'm sure he would have many tales to tell you." I nodded, noting another addition to my inner to-do list before returning my attention to our conversation.   
  
"We have seen no Darkspawn other than Corypheus himself. Perhaps it is not an Archdemon at all, but something different?" Josephine asked, looking over to the other two advisors. Cullen replied, "Whatever it is, it's dangerous. Commanding such a creature gives Corypheus an advantage we can't ignore." I frowned, looking to the ground in deep thought as I listened to everyone's words. At this rate, we were just going in circles. Although, it's good that no one is trying to place blame anymore, but our confusion and worry will only grow if we linger much more on this. We need something to move us forward. Sighing once more, I shook my head as I returned my gaze to the three advisors, "Someone must know _something_ about Corypheus. Isn't there books or something about Tevinter that we can rely on?" Leliana smirked, nodding in approval as she spoke, "We do have one advantage. We know what he plans to do next." She focused her attention back to me, "In that strange future you and Dorian witnessed, Empress Celene had been assassinated." "Imagine the chaos her death would cause. With his army.." Josephine spoke, only to be interrupted by Cullen, "An army he'll bolster with a massive force of demons, or so the future tells us." Josephine continued, "Corypheus could conquer the entire South of Thedas, God or no God." Leliana sighed, "I'd feel better if we knew more about what we were dealing with." "I know someone who can help with that."   
  
Each one of us turned our attention to the open doorway, we noticed Varric had sauntered in, looking proud, if not a little drunk, as he walked up to join our conversation. He continued, "With everyone acting all inspirational has jogged my memory, so I messaged an old friend. He's crossed paths with Corypheus before and he may know more about what Corypheus is doing. He should be able to help." I blinked, a sudden rush of excitement flowing to my eyes as I nodded with an earnest smile, "Really? That's great, Varric! I'm always looking for more allies. I can't wait to meet him." Varric frowned for a split second before flashing his typical grin, "Heh. Thought you'd say that. He should be around later but uh...I told him to meet you up on the battlements. He never liked parading around, getting unwanted attention. And don't worry, I'll be there with you." We watched him leave the Cathedral as Josephine jotted down some notes on her sheets of paper, "Well then, we will stand ready to move on to both of these concerns." "On your order, Inquisitor." Cullen added, smirking with pride. Speaking with a gentle chuckle, Leliana spoke, "I know one thing: If Varric brought who I _think_ he has, Cassandra's going to kill him."  
  
Thus began our longest week of reconstruction. If anything, we started off with gathering all of the debris, be it rock, wood, metals or just plain garbage, and to sort them in piles. Many of us had to count each disaster throughout the castle and to present the damage to Commander Cullen for intel. Then came the hard part. Finding room to hold the wounded. Those who were lightly harmed would huddle together in a set of rooms with soldiers or scouts, while those...less fortunate, would spend their restless nights camping out in tents in the temporary Infirmary set out in the courtyard. I would do my best to volunteer to help aid our dying survivors, or if possible, to settle their minds from all of their constant pain. As surprising as it was, Cole was quite helpful in this department. I was right when I assumed he was a Spirit, though the day I walked in on a feuding conversation between Vivienne, Cassandra and Solas, I soon realized how much help I could be even to a Spirit.  
  
The feud began early one morning, starting with Solas arguing with Vivienne. When I approached, I overheard Solas trying to explain the fact that Cole is a Spirit and not a demon, though as much as Vivienne would like to disagree. Cassandra was more of a middle line in the situation, however at times I felt that she was leaning more towards Vivienne's side on this topic. In the end, I had to be the one to draw the line. I had approached Cole after noticing how he strayed closer to the wounded victims of Haven's aftermath. He would mumble what seemed like jibberish to no one in particular, as usual. But when I stood behind him, watching and listening, I noticed that what he was speaking was not of _his_ thoughts and worries, but of the injured person at his side. He was reflecting their soul, as it were. And all he wanted to do, was ease that suffering. Be that as handing a female soldier a cup of water, a ground herb to stiffen a large gaping wound at a nun's side...or to wield a dagger over the heart of a dying man. Though I was reluctant, I quickly stopped Cole of this sudden action, only to earn a confused 'Why?' from the scare crow looking young man. "The man might not die. The medicines might work. We can't interfere, no matter how much pain he bares." Cole stood silent, most likely in contemplation, before he returned his confused stare my way, "How do you know?" He asked. "I don't." I replied, continuing, "But it is not my decision, nor yours, to take the life of someone struggling to live. Yes, his pain may be unbearable and yes, the medicine might not be enough. But we can't know for certain. If...If the Maker wishes to take this man's life, then he should die by the Maker's hands. Not mine, nor yours. All either of us can do right now is try to help him live, even through the pain." I don't know if Cole is religious in any way, shape or form, but something in my words must have responded to him. In one swift movement, he sheathed his thin blade and nodded his head to the crying man, speaking a soft 'Try..' before instantly vanishing (literally _vanishing!)_ out of thin air.  
  
Cullen was extremely busy, which must have been a good thing considering the fact that he doesn't like having nothing to do. 'Worries are pushed to the back of your mind when your hands are focusing on something else.' He told me that day. Cullen had the 'chore' to assign designated rooms to specific groups, maintain inventory and ultimate focus upon reconstruction of the castle. He even had to sweet talk some dwarves to shape the stone work on the battlements. He had warned me to be careful in the jailcells. Apparently the structures down there had fallen throughout the years. Either from countless battles, years of wear and tear, or quite possibly from floods, considering how close the jail is to a river's creak. He had also been 'keeping an eye' on the mages we had allied ourselves with. Despite the fact that he is wary of Enchanter Fiona, after speaking with her myself, I found that his concerns of the mages will not be much of a worry for me. Cullen just tends to be over protective at times. Though, I understand why. Leliana had told me at one point that Commander Cullen had a very harsh past involving mages. She explained to me that it would be best to not bring up the topic to him, however. Apparently, it is a tender subject for him.  
  
When I caught up to Cassandra, she was usually seen in the courtyard, training her swordsman skills against makeshift dummies. It was always admirable to see such concentration and devotion in each step, each strike she would make to her imaginary foes. However, her mind must have been elsewhere, because when I approached, she growled at her 'foe', slashing the stump it sat on to crack in a blooming splinter before she kicked the defeated dummy into a corner of the stone wall. I asked her why she was so frustrated. In a large huff, most likely to catch her breath, Cassandra replied explaining that her worries for her remaining Seekers has been growing. After the debacle in Val Royeaux with the Templars and Lord Seeker Lucius, Cassandra had been trying to figure out where the other Seekers may have been. She sent missives, letters, to each corner, but none have returned. She even sought out help from Leliana, asking for scouts to linger in a Seeker's last known whereabouts to sniff them out. Still, nothing. Now, after all of this chaos pilling up upon our, or more appropriately _my_ , shoulders, Cassandra just wanted to know if her fellow Seekers were indeed safe. I honestly have no idea how I can be of any help, but I agreed with her on the topic. We can't lose any more innocence to all of this darkness. I remembered seeing how many Templars, dressed in Red Lyrium, had marched through Haven. An army of red for Corypheus… And last I checked, Lord Lucius was that brute in Val Royeaux who led the Templars. Was it possible that he had some kind of connection to Corypheus? No wonder Cassandra is worried for the other Seekers.  
  
I was surprised when Vivienne had spoken to me one morning. She explained in great detail how choosing Haven as our primary base of operations was a terrible choice to make. Though, she never gave me the chance to retort back with a simple 'I never made that choice anyway'. That's the thing I learned about Lady Vivienne. She _adores_ the sound of her voice. She's a beautiful woman, but a bitch at heart. (If I was one to quote Sera) However, even with her disapproval of the events at Haven, Vivienne was quite taken with my anger towards Corypheus. "You are angry? Good. Use that anger. Let it drive you to the wise decisions of the future. Corypheus will see not to mess with you. He has made his own fatal mistake of stepping to your level, my dear. It will not be long before he begins to fear you." There is something about Vivienne and fear that just sets me off sometimes.  
  
Remembering back to the day I officially became the Inquisitor, I reflected on how Leliana mentioned for me to speak with Sir Blackwall about Darkspawn and Archdemons. I expected a plethora of war stories from the skilled veteran. But the moment I began asking him about each subject, Blackwall had seemed a bit...distant. Almost as if he didn't want to answer me, for some odd reason. I know I don't know the man properly yet, but considering what I have to face in this damn biblical war, I need all the help I can get. If he is withholding dire information from me, Sister Leliana is not going to take him lightly. I even warned him about that too. He chuckled, nervously I might add, and only gave me details that I could attempt to focus upon. From what he explained, Darkspawn are basically demons created by rouge mages who were drunk on the idea of taking over the Golden Seat of the Maker, thus creating the Black City. Bad things got worse as the Darkspawn emerged from the Fade, I think, and began enveloping the world in darkness, guided by an Old God in the shape of a High Dragon. Or as he explained, an Archdemon. Though the flying monstrosity we saw over Haven was quite similar to an Archdemon, it is apparently much closer to a corrupted High Dragon, infused with raw red lyrium. Whether this speculation is true or not, we may never know.  
  
The Iron Bull was very kind to offer me helpful advice. He pulled me aside late one night, somehow talked me into dressing up as a male rouge (for reasons I'm still unsure about) and led me to a group of new soldiers, sitting around a camp fire. We, or shall I say, The Iron Bull, spoke most about what to expect in this damn war, and what to gain from it.  The two soldiers we spoke to didn't fear Corypheus, nor mind the fact that a female Elven mage has become the new Inquisitor. They were determined to stand alongside her, they claimed. Ready to strike every foe. Survive, and win if possible, each battle in the name of the Inquisition. They just wanted to defend their home, to see the new tomorrow. With a pleasant smile from each of them, the two soldiers had made a vow to walk in the Inquisitor's shadow. And they held no regret for their words. When I was back to the Iron Bull's campsite, he explained to me that it is always a good idea to listen in on a soldier's morale. To get a feel for the inside job, as it were. Though, I believe the real reason he wanted me to speak with those two was actually to help cheer me up from the events at Haven. Bull must have noticed how broken down I was after witnessing too much bloodshed. I bet he wanted me to see that every single person that follows alongside me _knows_ what they are about to face. And they will not relent or turn back on their word. Including him.  
  
Before heading to bed in Sera's room, I joined both her, Dorian and Varric for a late night drink. Dorian ordered me a softer drink, compared to the hard liquor that Varric wanted to give me. Sera, on the other hand, was already passed out drunk. Add to that, Varric told me that Sera had messed up her room, apparently. From the sounds of it, someone had placed something in her room that didn't belong. Rumor has it, it was a snake. Out of the kindness of his heart, Dorian offered to share his room with me for the night until 'the devious snake has finally been caught', of course. I politely declined his offer, however. As much as Dorian is a kind and noble man, it just wouldn't look right for me to be coming out of a man's bedroom. After a couple of drinks and listening to tales of a man Varric is close friends with, Hawke the Champion of Kirkwall, I had decided to look for another place to sleep. _Perhaps someone cleared a spot in the Cathedral?_ Walking into the large building at the center of the massive castle, I listened to the sound of the gentle night breeze wafting through the few trees in the courtyard. Looking down the steps, I noticed a couple of campfires had died down, leaving only a faint trace of embers to float helplessly. _It must be very late. I should be careful how loud I am in the building._ Though, it came to my surprise when I realized I wasn't the only one awake that night.


End file.
